Library | Building America Solution Center

Showing 51 - 100 of 111 results:

Ignition Resistant Construction Guide

2010

FireSafe Montana

Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

Indoor airPLUS Technical Bulletin Pest Entry Prevention

2019

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

A factsheet providing information on how to prevent pests from entering the home by sealing cracks and openings.

Is There a Mouse in the House? Eliminate Mice with IPM

2017

Pennsylvania State University

Pennsylvania State University,

PennState Extension

Article explaining how to use integrated pest management to choose methods of pest control that are safe and effective.

Keeping Homes and Cities Cool in Extreme Heat

2021

Kyle Mittan

University of Arizona

Article from University of Arizona on keeping homes cool during extreme heat, both personal and system changes.

Landscaping Tips

2021

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Guide describing landscaping tips for healthy and regionally-based gardens, including maintenance, mulching, water efficiency, and plant resources.

Landscaping To Reduce the Energy Used In Cooling Buildings

1983

Parker John H

Florida International University,

Society of American Foresters

Paper describing vegetation impacts on cooling load for buildings.

Living with Fire: Homeowners' Firesafe Guide for Montana

2009

FireSafe Montana

Guide for homeowners describing actions they can take to modify their home and the surrounding site to create a survivable space to reduce the amount of damage a home would likely experience during a wildfire.

Maintain Defensible Space

2019

California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection

Cal Fire

A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.

Measured Impacts of Air Conditioner Condenser Shading

1996

Sonne Jeffrey K,

Parker Danny S,

Barkaszi Stephen F

Florida Solar Energy Center,

FSEC

Paper describing energy savings in space cooling from shading condenser units.

Mulching to Improve Soil Health, E484A

2022

Sabata,

U.S. Department of Agriculture

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

USDA

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Mulching with Lawn Clippings

2022

Garden City Harvest

Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Mulching Your Trees and Landscapes

2022

University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Service

University of Tennessee

Pamphlet describing different types of mulches and their benefits.

National Flood Hazard Layer (NFHL) Viewer

2022

Federal Emergency Management Agency

FEMA

Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

National Hazard Mitigation Association

2020

Natural Disasters Association,

National Hazard Mitigation Association

NDA,

NHMA

Website providing information on tsunamis, earthquakes, tornadoes, hurricanes, thunderstorms and more.

National Wildlife Control Operators Association

2020

National Wildlife Control Operators Association

NWCOA

NWCOA website homepage.

New National Guide for Wildland-Urban Interface Fires

2021

National Research Council Canada

NRCC

Report for local governments, planners, emergency managers, developers, insurers, and property owners describing ways to improve the wildfire resistance of buildings, infrastructure and communities in the wildland urban interface.

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

2021

New York State

New York Department of Environmental Conservation

Website of the New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

NFPA 1142 – Standard on Water Supplies for Suburban and Rural Fire Fighting

2017

National Fire Protection Association

NFPA

An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.

NFPA 22 – Standard for Water Tanks for Private Fire Protection

2018

National Fire Protection Association

NFPA

An NFPA standards document that provides minimum requirements for the design, construction, installation, and maintenance of tanks and accessory equipment that supply water for private fire protection.

Peak Power and Cooling Energy Savings of Shade Trees

1997

Akbari Hashem,

et al.

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory,

LBNL

Paper describing a study on savings in peak power and cooling energy for homes with shade trees.

Permeable Pavement

2022

City of Mercer Island

Brochure describing what permeable pavement is, where to install it, and how to maintain it.

Pest Prevention by Design: Authoritative Guidelines for Designing Pests out of Structures

2012

Geiger Chris A,

Cox Caroline

San Francisco Department of the Environment,

SF Environment,

Center for Environmental Health,

CEH,

International Code Council,

ICC

Report providing detailed steps for builders, architects, and property managers to take for integrated pest management for control of a variety of pests including insects, rodents, and birds.

Proper Mulching

2022

Fayetteville NC

Pamphlet describing proper mulching around trees and problems and benefits associated with mulching.

Protect Your Property from Wildfire, California Edition

2019

Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety

IBHS

Report providing wildfire protection guidance for homeowners in California.

Rats: Information for Tenants and Property Owners

2017

City of New York

Website providing information about how to keep the properties rat-free and address conditions that can lead to rats.

READ THIS: Before You Move In, GM-0606

2006

Brennan Terry,

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Report describing steps homeowners can take to improve the indoor air quality in their home, including ventilating, preventing pests, and reducing pollutants in the home.

Reduce Pest Intrusion

2018

Building Energy Codes Program,

U.S. Department of Energy

DOE

Guide describing ways builders can block off entry points and otherwise make homes inhospitable to all manner of pests.

Reducing Urban Heat Islands: Compendium of Strategies, Urban Heat Island Basics

2008

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Guidance document describing urban heat islands, what they are, how they form, why we care, and including some strategies to reduce them.

Resilient Design Guide: High Wind Wood Frame Construction Edition

2020

Federal Alliance For Safe Homes

FLASH

Report providing architects, designers, and homeowners with information to make house plans useful for constructing a more wind resilient structure.

Rodent Exclusion Manual: Mechanical Rodent Proofing Techniques: a training manual for National Park Service Employees

2014

National Park Service

Manual describing methods for rodent-proofing buildings.

Rodent Exclusion Methods

2013

Wildlife Damage Management

Website providing information about how to prevent rodent entry in homes.

SelecTree: A Tree Selection Guide

2022

Urban Forest Ecosystems Institute,

California Polytechnic State University

UFEI,

Cal Poly

Website tool that can search for trees by name or characteristics and retrieve data describing tree attributes including site preferences and general characteristics and considerations.

Solar Water and Pool Heating Manual - Design and Installation & Repair and Maintenance

2006

Florida Solar Energy Center

FSEC

A research paper exploring the design, installation, repair and maintenance of solar water and pool heating technologies.

Stop Pests in Housing

2018

Northeastern IPM Center

Website providing information on all types of pest management for multi-family housing.

Stop Pests in Housing - Rodents

2024

Stop Pests

Webpage providing information how to deal with rodents by knowing what they look like, where they live, and what they do.

Storm Water Technology Fact Sheet - Vegetated Swales

1999

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency

EPA

Document describing correct construction of swales, designed to trap particulate pollutants (suspended solids and trace metals), promote infiltration, and reduce the flow velocity of storm water runoff.

Strategic Landscaping and Air-Conditioning Savings: A Literature Review

1990

Meier Alan

University of California

Paper describing landscaping influences on heat gain through shading, infiltration shielding, and microclimate creation for nearby buildings.

Studies in the Assessment of Vegetation Impact in the Urban Context

2017

Vuckovic Milena,

Kiesel Kristina,

Mahdavi Ardeshir

TU Wien

Paper describing case studies on urban vegetation and greenways and their impacts on city climate and building performance.

Subterranean Termites – Their Prevention and Control in Buildings

2006

Peterson Chris,

et al.

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

USDA,

USDA Forest Service

A report describing methods for constructing homes and treating soils to reduce the risk of termites in buildings.

Tennessee 'Bee Whisperer' Removes 35,000 Honey Bees from Brick Wall

2018

Farber Madeline

Fox News

A story about bees building a hive in the drainage plane behind the brick veneer siding. The bees entered the wall through unprotected drainage holes.

Termite Damaged Weatherboard

2001

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation

CSIRO

Image depicting damage from termites in weatherboard cladding.

Termite Infestations

2021

Green Jody

University of Nebraska - Lincoln,

Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County

Article describing identification of termite infestations in homes and treatment options.

Termites

2014

Peterson Chris,

et al.

U.S. Forest Service,

USDA

An introduction to the insect termites.

Termites and ICFs

2017

Insulated Concrete Forms Association

ICF Builder

Document with information on preventing termites when using ICFs.

The Implicit Value of Tree Cover in the U.S.: a Meta-Analysis of Hedonic Property Value Studies

2016

Siriwardena Shyamani D,

et al.

Virginia Tech,

USDA Forest Service

Document describing the impacts of tree cover on property values.

The value of shade: Estimating the effect of urban trees on summertime electricity use

2009

Donovan Geoffrey H,

Butry David T

U.S. Department of Agriculture,

USDA,

USDA Forest Service,

National Institute of Standards and Technology,

NIST

Paper describing the effects of shade trees and their location on residential summertime electricity usage.

Trees for Energy Conservation

2019

U.S. Department of Agriculture

USDA

Training course describing how to incorporate trees into an energy-conserving landscape.

Urban Forestry Manual

2006

U.S. Forest Service

USFA

Manual describing scientific, technical, and practical information needed to work with communities on urban forestry, including a section on trees and construction.

Washington State Department of Health – Rodents

2021

Washington State Department of Health

WSDOH

A website providing information on sealing the home against rodents and how to trap rodents once they have made their way into the home.

Water Managed Wall Systems, PA-0301

2003

Lstiburek Joseph W

Building Science Corporation,

BSC

Document outlining a well-detailed drainage plane and flashings.