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.

Document describing the air leakage provisions of Appendix RA of the 2015 IECC (prepared for the State of Georgia to assist with compliance with their 2019 Energy Code).

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

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.

Standard providing master specifications for closed cell, medium density spray polyurethane foam air barriers located in the non-accessible part of the wall.

Standard outlining materials and installation methods by using commercial building wraps.

Standard providing information about self-adhered sheet air barriers located in the non-accessible part of the wall and materials to bridge and seal air leakage pathways and gaps.

Standard outlining materials and installation methods for a liquid-applied vapor permeable air barrier systems located in the non-accessible part of the wall.

Vinyl siding estimating and installation guide for vinyl siding products.

A website explaining the process of sealing a home with Aeroseal & how the technology is used to seal holes in the air ducts and vents of the home.

Technical report describing the research behind a new aerosol-based sealing method, utilizing pressurization and a dispersed sealant fog, facilitated by a standard blower door, to automatically measure, locate, and seal air leaks in new homes in the United States, providing an efficient solution to...

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.

Information on the control of air flow across building enclosures to control moisture damage, reduce energy losses, and ensure occupant comfort and health. A continuous, strong, stiff, durable and air impermeable air barrier system is required between the exterior and conditioned space to control...

Document reporting results from a study done to evaluate effects of automotive emissions from attached garages on the indoor environment.

Article describing how an airtight home shell helps achieve a tight envelope that is energy efficient and cost effective.

Article describing how to stop air leaks around the windows and doors of a home.

Website article interviewing the inventor of the Larsen truss, a history of its use, and a discussion of its advantages and disadvantages.

Article about different types of weather resistant barrier.

Article describing air sealing and air barriers in buildings.

Technical report describing the thermal performance of 40 common building envelope details for mid- and high-rise buildings, including analyses to optimize energy efficiency and reduce thermal bridging.

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

Document focusing on the design and wall components that contribute to a pressure equalized rain screen wall, including the frequency of the weep holes and other brick masonry rain screen wall requirements.

Report comparing a variety of roof insulating strategies to present their advantages and disadvantages according to several comparison criteria.

Guide describing methodologies for assessing and mitigating thermal bridging in building envelopes, featuring detailed performance data, interface solutions, and assembly-specific strategies for energy-efficient construction.

Report outlining how conditioned crawlspaces perform better than vented crawlspaces in terms of safety, health, comfort, durability and energy consumption.

FEMA risk management series guide on hospital safety and resilience to natural disasters.

Report providing information on ways to incentivize funding of hazard mitigation programs.

Article describing the difference between swales and hugels (berms used to create soil from woody debris).

Information sheet briefly summarizing double stud with spray foam wall construction including the advantages and disadvantages of this construction strategy.

Report comparing a high-performance house with a code-built control home.

Report presenting the results from several demonstrations of a new method for sealing building envelop air leaks.

Article discussing flow-through assemblies of walls.

Journal article describing lessons learned from updating a 16-year-old deep-energy retrofit.

A fact sheet on how to prepare for a natural disaster by storing food and water through an emergency food supply.

Website providing resources for roofers to construct high-wind, hurricane, and hail-resistant roofs from IBHS Fortified program.

The FPC Monitoring project has evaluated radiant barrier systems (RBS) as a new potential DSM program.

Results from a research program testing airtightness, implications of air leakage and contaminant reduction over the garage-to-house interface.

Website article touring areas hit hardest by tornadoes to see how they are building differently to protect against the next big twister.

Information sheet about air barriers.

Article describing the stack effect in buildings.

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Report outlining results from a 2005 hygrothermal pilot study in the South.

An impact test report from projectile missile tests against brick veneer, verifying that brick veneers perform well to resisting hurricane force wind driven debris.

Guidebook providing useful examples of high performance retrofit techniques for the building enclosure of wood frame residential construction in a cold and somewhat wet climate.

Siding installation guide for Ply Gem Siding Group products.

Report providing a resource that communities can use to identify and evaluate a range of potential mitigation actions for reducing risk to natural hazards and disasters.

Website containing USGS-related publications related to natural hazards.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

A fact sheet educating the public on the potential hazards and safe use of portable generators.

Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.