Library

Guide providing minimum design and construction requirements for storm shelters that provide a safe refuge from storms that produce high winds, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

Report summarizing the requirements to strenghthen new homes against property damage caused by high wind occurrences per the IBHS Fortified Homes High Wind Standard for New Homes.

Report summarizing the wind-resistant provisions of the 2015 edition of the International Building Code.

Florida building code including all the amendments and additions by Florida for the wind-borne debris regions and the high-velocity hurricane zone.

2018 edition of code establishing minimum regulations for mechanical systems, including heating, cooling, ventilation, exhaust, ducts, fireplaces, combustion and hydronic systems, using prescriptive and performance-related provisions.

A colored map showing seismic zones across the United States, ranging from lowest to highest seismic hazards.

Report assessing and scoring code enforcement and administration and contractor licensing in the 18 states most vulnerable to catastrophic hurricanes along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico.

Building code for the state of California providing the building rules and regulations as well as disaster resistance tools.

Report summarizing the requirements for strenghtening and protecting the roof, openings in the house, and creating a continuous load path to strengthen walls and foundation per the IBHS Fortified Homes Hurricane Standard for New Homes.

Residential building code for the State of Florida.

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance in severe thunderstorms, straight-line wind events, and high winds at the outer edges of tornadoes.

A presentation on the 2020 State Mechanical Code for easier understanding.

Guidebook covering basic principles and data used in the HVAC&R industry. This is the 2023 edition of the handbook, which can be purchased physically or digitally at the reference link in versions using either I-P units of measurement or SI units of measurement.

Report assessing building codes for the 18 Atlantic and Gulf coast states which are most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

Article describing products that can enhance the efficiency and safety of clothes dryer vents.

Article describing methods for venting a vented attic and a roof assembly over an unvented attic.

Report describing the results of a field study of five different ventilation system types in 29 homes in the Pacific Northwest.

Paper discussing innovative strategies for improving ventilation systems in high-rise apartment buildings, focusing on compartmentalization and controlling stack effect pressures to enhance indoor air quality and energy efficiency published in the Proceedings of the Eighth Conference on Building...

Guidance document from the UN environment programme on climate-resilient buildings and communities practices, including guidance on heat waves, drought, hurricanes, and flooding.

Report describing how changing the air exchange rate of a home (the sum of the infiltration and mechanical ventilation airflow rates) affects the annual thermal conditioning energy.

Energy Star web page providing guidance on attic ventilation.

The manual covers residential zoning issues - multiple, single-zone, and central multi-zone systems - and includes advice on working with homeowners to adapt the heating or cooling system design to meet modern home design features.

Website providing research, efficiency and safety standards development, and advocacy to the home appliance industry to bring efficient, high-performing home appliances to consumers.

Website reporting efficiencies for dehumidifiers, room air conditioners, and room air cleaners that are tested by independent laboratories and reported by the Association of Home Appliance Manufacturers.

Report describing the experience gained from AIA’s Disaster Assistance Program with first-hand accounts of disaster response and recovery, case studies and other best practices, including approaches to designing buildings to be more adaptable to uncertainty.

Standard covering updates to the expected leakage rates for ductwork constructed to the SMACNA HVAC Duct Construction Standards—Metal & Flexible, duct leakage test procedures; includes recommendations on use of leakage testing, types of test apparatus, and test setup and sample leakage analysis.

A publication highlighting recommendations that contribute to improved overall performance in the structural shell and focus on good connection details to tie together exterior walls, roofs and floors.

Wall bracing calculator simplifying the design of residential structures that comply with 2009, 2012, 2015, 2018 or 2021 International Residential Code (IRC) wall bracing requirements.

Report describing a field investigation of failure rates of whole-house mechanical ventilation systems installed in Florida homes.

Web-based mapping tool offering a fast, reliable way to look up key design parameters specified in Standard ASCE 7-10, 7-16, or 7-22 for a specific address or location which is free to use and can look up data for eight different environmental hazard types: wind, tornado, seismic, ice, rain, flood...

A report that evaluates the force it takes to crack stucco of various thicknesses.

The exhaust from residential combustion appliances contains air pollutants and high levels of moisture that must be conveyed to the outdoors to maintain acceptable indoor quality.

Technical report describing the evaluation of air management systems in a high-rise apartment building in Toronto, Ontario, focusing on air leakage, suite depressurization, and the performance of in-suite exhaust and corridor ventilation systems.

Standard establishing test methods for determining air leakage in duct systems using fan pressurization in low-rise residential and commercial buildings.

Articles describing attic and ceiling insulation, including mentions of baffles with protect insulation from wind washing.

Web page describing the benefits of attic fans, with rules for sizing fans and intake vents.

Blog article discussing pros and cons of attic ventilation fans.

Article by the Canadian Government on attic ventilation and considerations for moisture and ice dams.

Technical article describing issues and moisture concerns related to weatherization efforts.

Article describing the common ventilation system types, issues, and solutions in New York City's multifamily residential buildings to improve indoor air quality, occupant health, and building durability.

Document containing recommendations on how to brace roofs and gable end walls based on lessons learned from analyzing the destruction from hurricane Andrew.

ENRGY STAR webpage discussing the basics of certified ceiling fans.

Information sheet with information about insulating and ventilating attics.

Fact sheet describing changes made to the 2010 Florida Building Code with regards to wind design loads and requirements.

Fact sheet describing the characteristics that make for a successful coastal residential building, including design and construction recommendations; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Report describing retrofitting options and methodology for architects, developers, and property owners to use when making decisions about retrofits for common building types in NY.

Report providing tools and resources to help community planners to improve coastal resilience.

Volume II of a two-volume report providing a comprehensive approach to design, construction, and renovation of homes located in coastal environments.

Article summarizing the IBHS stance on building practices that can mitigate the impact of high winds and storm surge on structures.