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Library

This library contains research reports produced by the Building America program and other building science resources used to support this Solution Center. The materials cover both new construction and existing homes. Use the search box and/or the filters to explore hundreds of residential building resources. Access to some references not produced by Building America may require purchase from the publisher. Documents are listed alphabetically. While we continually update our database, links may have changed since posting. Please contact our webmaster if you find broken links.

Showing results 1 - 50 of 65

FORTIFIED Home Homeowner Resources

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage describing homeowner resources program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and even tornadoes.

2024 Rating the States: Hurricane Coast

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report assessing building codes for the 18 Atlantic and Gulf coast states which are most prone to hurricanes, as of 2018.

FORTIFIED Home Re-Roofing Checklist - High Wind

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind resistance.

FORTIFIED Home Re-Roofing Checklist - Hurricane

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for hurricane resistance.

Protect Your Home from Ice Dams

Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.

Wind Safe Rooms

Author(s)
Disaster Center,
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety,
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
IBHS,
FEMA
Publication Date
Guide describing "wind safe” room as a reinforced area of a home designed to withstand severe windstorms.

Reduce Fire Losses

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website describing wildfire related research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety at the IBHS Research Center.

What to Do if a Wildfire is Approaching

Author(s)
IBHS DisasterSafety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guidelines from IBHS on modifications to homes to prepare for a wildfire if evacuation orders are anticipated for the area.

Wildfire Public Policy

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage describing ways builders and communities an reduce wildfire risk.

Fire Spread on Ember-Ignited Decks

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety,
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Fact sheet describing research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety into how burning embers can ignite softwood decks like redwood and cedar and how to minimize the likelihood these decks will be ignited by embers.

Wildfire Ready

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
A webpage providing guidance on increasing the wildfire resistance of a home.

Protect Your Home From Floods

Author(s)
Institute for Business & Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Report covering reducing risk from flooding.

Prepare Your Home Ahead of Severe Thunderstorms

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website providing guidance on how to reduce the risk of damage to a home from hail.

FORTIFIED Home Inside FORTIFIED

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website providing resources for roofers to construct high-wind, hurricane, and hail-resistant roofs from IBHS Fortified program.

FORTIFIED Home a Program of IBHS

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website describing the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)'s Fortified Home program which offers home builders standards and guidance for constructing and renovating homes for increased disaster resistance.

FORTIFIED Home Getting FORTIFIED Certified

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage providing access to the training for building professionals to earn certification as FORTIFIED™ Home Evaluators and FORTIFIED-Wise credentials.

Wildfire Prepared Protect Your Home from Wildfire

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage that providing designation program enables homeowners to take preventative measures for their home and yard to protect against wildfire.

2020 Fortified Home Standard Detail Set Hurricane

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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.

2020 Fortified Home Standard Summary of Change

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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.

Fire Pump Basics Fact Sheet

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety,
National Fire Protection Association
Organization(s)
IBHS,
NFPA
Publication Date
Fact sheet providing a reference for the different types of fire pumps and fire pump drivers.

FORTIFIED Home Roof Coverings - Design Pressure Guidance for Roof Coverings

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist highlighting key concepts of wind design uplift pressures and design uplift pressure ratings for proper selection and installation of residential roof covering systems to comply with section R905.1 of the 2015 International Residential Code for a FORTIFIED Roof™–New Roof designation.

FORTIFIED Home Re-Roofing Checklist - High Wind & Hail

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing information about the specific requirements of FORTIFIED Roof™ design and construction standard for re-roofing specific for high wind and hail resistance.

Hail Supplement to the High Wind Standard

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing the requirements by FORTIFIED Home™ for improving the home's resistance to high wind and hail.

Prevent Home Roof Damage from Heavy Snow and Ice.

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Webpage providing guidance for homeowners on how much snow weight a typical roof can handle and when to consider removing snow from the roof.

FORTIFIED Home Hurricane Technical Requirements Summary: Existing Homes

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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 Existing Homes.

Three-Dimensional Roof Snowdrifts

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety,
Federal Emergency Management Agency
Organization(s)
IBHS,
FEMA
Publication Date
Factsheet providing design guidance for engineers describing how to characterize snow drifts on roofs in three dimensions rather than two, as anticipated in the 2022 edition of the standards, ASCE 7 - Minimum Design Loads and Associated Criteria for Buildings and Other Structures.

FORTIFIED Home Choosing the Right Tape

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing recommendations for the right tape in order to reduce the risk of leaks during storms with wind-driven rain.

2019 Fortified Home New Construction Hurricane Technical Summary

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
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.

FORTIFIED Home Selection & Installation of Metal Roof Panels - Metal Panel Roof Covering: Guidance on Selection, Installation and Documentation

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist providing selection and installation guidance for residential, non-structural metal roof systems installed over wood roof decks with a roof slope 2:12 or greater to comply with section R905.1 of the 2015 IRC for a FORTIFIED Roof – New Roof Designation.

FORTIFIED Home Technical Documents

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Website providing technical documents of checklists, calculators, bulletin, modular home toolkit, standard details, and corrosion resistance requirements – map set; describing the requirements of the IBHS Fortified Home program to improve the disaster resistance of new and existing homes.

Building a Wildfire-Resistant Home: Codes and Costs

Author(s)
Quarles Stephen L,
Pohl Kelly
Organization(s)
Community Planning Assistance for Wildfire,
CPAW,
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety,
IBHS,
Headwaters Economics
Publication Date
Report examining the cost differences between a typical home and a home constructed using wildfire-resistant materials and design features.

General Flashing Guidelines for Steep-Sloped Roofs

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Guide describing how and where to install flashings in order to weatherproof a roof.

FORTIFIED Home Corrosion-Resistant Fasteners - New Documentation Requirements

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Checklist highlighting the requirement for metal structural connections and materials fasteners used to retrofit or construct FORTIFIED buildings less than 3,000 ft from saltwater to be suitably protected from corrosion.

FORTIFIED Home Roof Flashing

Author(s)
Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety
Organization(s)
IBHS
Publication Date
Fact sheet instructing installers about flashing installed on a FORTIFIED roof and points to roof covering manufacturers for flashing installation instructions.

Vulnerability of Vents to Wind-Blown Embers

Author(s)
Quarles Stephen L
Organization(s)
Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety,
IBHS
Publication Date
Report covering the migration of wind-blown embers in roof vents.