Library

FEMA guidance for flood damage in areas prone to flooding.

A report showing what happens when windows break as a result of temperature differences between the inside and outside of the home, as well as code standards for the State of California regarding window exposure to wildfires.

Updated wildfire risk assessment, community impacts, and building science measures following the disastrous 2020 wildfire season in the western U.S.

Standard providing a comprehensive approach to evaluating, selecting, specifying and installing flexible duct in HVAC systems.

Link to all versions of ASCE/SEI 24, a standard describing the minimum requirements and expected performance for the siting and design and construction of buildings and structures in flood hazard areas that are subject to building code requirements.

Webpage containing links to all editions of the Florida Building Code.

Presentation explaining the fenestration elements of the Florida Building Code.

Article describing the history and the current debate about how to adjust the Florida building codes.

Fact sheet describing foundation design criteria, foundation types suitable for coastal environments, and addressing foundations for high-elevation coastal areas (e.g., bluff areas); also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Website providing certifications and codes for automatic gas shut off valves in the state of California.

Standard that applies to storage water heaters, instantaneous water heaters, and circulating water heaters including booster water heaters; the current version of this standard was published in the year 2019 and it is available for purchase along with a digital preview on the ANSI webstore page.

Document describing the emissions criteria for carpets, cushions, and adhesives to qualify as those with low volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions under the Carpet and Rug Institute's Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality Testing Program.

Standard describing GREENGUARD Emission Criteria for use with GREENGUARD Certification Program for Low Emitting Products.

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

Document providing supplemental information for code enforcement professionals about header hangers in bearing walls.

Guidance for achieving safe and healthy indoor environments during home energy retrofits.

Webpage describing federal regulation related to excess flow valves on residential natural gas lines.

Website describing ways to prevent home house fires.

Website providing certified rating programs to help manufacturers, builders, contractors and homeowners compare performance of ventilation products for air flow, sound, and other performance characteristics.

Fact sheet describing the function of housewrap, its attributes, and common problems associated with its use, including housewrap vs. building paper and housewrap installation; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Fact sheet describing effects of planning, siting, and design decisions on coastal home costs, including initial, operating, and long-term costs; risk determination; and the effect on costs of meeting and exceeding code and NFIP design and construction requirements; also published in FEMA P-499...

Website with articles on home ventilation and indoor air quality.

Companion document to the Indoor airPLUS Construction Specifications, providing guidance on identifying compliant products, including industry databases and examples of product labeling.

Checklist for verifying FORTIFIED levels and documentation needed.

Standards criteria supporting ICC HVAC duct support standards.

Correcting pressure imbalances in your HVAC system can result in a healthier, more efficient home.

Publication specifying HVI’s prescriptive procedures for testing and rating airflow of residential ventilation products in accordance with ANSI consensus standards.

Publication describing the requirements and procedures for the certified performance ratings program for residential ventilation products administered by the Home Ventilating Institute.

Website providing an online directory of more than 3,600 residential ventilation products lisiting flowrates, sones, watts, and other performance metrics; all listed products have been tested by the Home Ventilating Institute.

Standard supporting indoor air quality performance by producers, purchasers and policy makers to improve the environmental performance of products and services.

Central return designs require an open pathway between the room and the heart of the house where the return grill is located.

Document outlining specifications that were developed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to recognize new homes equipped with a comprehensive set of indoor air quality (IAQ) features.

Website providing the technical specifications and related documents for home builders, subcontractors, architects, and other housing professionals interested in certifying a home to the EPA's Indoor airPLUS program requirements.

Website providing builders with information about meeting RESNET Grade 1 criteria when installing insulation.

Webpage providing all versions of the International Building Code (IBC) which is code for commercial buildings that brings together all structural, plumbing, mechanical, fuel gas, energy and electrical provisions for all buildings except detached one- and two-family residences and townhouses up to...

List of acceptance criteria for the ICC.

Webpage describing current and past versions of the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), establishing a baseline for energy efficiency with performance standards for building envelopes, mechanical systems, lighting systems and service water heating systems in homes and commercial...

Webpage with all versions of the International Fire Code (IFC), code establishing regulations involving life and property safety from fires and explosion hazards, including emergency planning, fire department access and water supply, automatic sprinkler systems, fire alarms, and hazardous materials...

Website with all versions of the International Plumbing Code (IPC), code establishing minimum regulations for plumbing facilities, including fixtures, water heaters, water supply and distribution, sanitary drainage, storm drainage, etc.

Webpage providing the latest versions of the International Wildland-Urban Interface Code (IWUIC), code establishing regulations to safeguard life and property from the intrusion of wildland fire and to prevent structure fires from spreading to wildland fuels; regulates defensible space and provides...

Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

Report describing as-found interior platform return plenums, the magnitude of their contribution to the total amount of duct leakage, and techniques and results of retrofits executed by the HVAC trade during equipment replacement.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Regulation 16 CFR Part 460: Federal regulation on labeling of home insulation products.

Website describing the wildland-urban interface code and providing links to resources.

2017 version of a standard covering requirements for single- and dual-pane windows, glazed side-hinged door systems, sliding doors, tubular daylighting devices, and unit skylights developed jointly by the American Architectural Manufacturers Association (AAMA), the Canadian Standards Association...

Website describing the EPA Lead Renovation, Repair, and Painting Rule that establishes requirements to reduce lead exposure for firms and individuals performing renovations that might disturb painted surfaces in buildings and homes built pre 1978 that might be occupied by children.

Guide describing sound mitigation measures to lower building natural disaster vulnerability to assist local officials and community decision makers in coastal areas.

Standard technical manual with information about HVAC balancing, testing air and hydronic systems.

A presentation describing the standards regarding who is responsible for what part of the design to ensure the roof truss is properly designed and braced.

Standard that prescribes a testing method to determine the efficiency of space heating and/or cooling thermal distribution systems under seasonal and design conditions. This version of the standard was published in the year 2014, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The...