Library

This study evaluated 11 measures for passive cooling using four heat resilience metrics with and without grid power in Fresno CA and found the two most effective measures were installing solar-control window films and adding roof insulation; natural ventilation also helped reduce overheating in...

City of Plymouth webpage providing information on the Plymouth Community Center Project.

Calculator to help in calculating pool volume.

Webpage offering recommendations to homeowners and contractors for retrofitting a home to make it more resistant to wildfires.

Report covering reducing risk from flooding.

List of recommendations from IBHS on how to protect homes from ice dam formation.

A website explaining the benefits of recycling compact fluorescent lightbulbs and how the process can prevent the release of mercury into the environment.

Website describing wildfire related research conducted by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety at the IBHS Research Center.

Table in the IRC describing bracing requirements for specified wind speeds and building story locations.

Technical report describing the research and development of the Ventilation-Integrated Comfort System (VICS) which is a specifically designed, energy-efficient solution that seamlessly integrates with low-capacity, ducted heating, and cooling systems, offering controllable, balanced energy recovery...

Website providing resources for seismic retrofits for builders and homeowners as well as city permit requirements from the City of Portland OR.

Fact sheet describing residential tornado safe room doors.

Software enabling low-carbon planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting.

Article from the Institute of Biological Engineering describing reverse osmosis water softeners.

Guidance from HUD on how to restore homes following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.

Guidance from HUD on how to restore homes following natural disasters in Puerto Rico.

Report covering the planning, design, construction, and operation of residential and community safe rooms. Written for architects, engineers, building officials, local officials and emergency managers, and prospective safe room owners and operators.

A website calculator that can calculate how much you can save by switching to ENERGY STAR certified products.

Fact sheet for natural gas customers describing city’s seismic gas shut-off valve requirements.

Step-by-step guide demonstrating replacement window selection process.

A website providing information on how to properly size a water heater based on tank size, volume, peak hour demand and other factors.

Fact sheet describing field validations of a smart ventilation system to assess its effectiveness in assisting low-load homes in humid environments by maintaining acceptable indoor humidity conditions while ensuring adequate ventilation and indoor air quality.

Article describing building smoke control systems.

The website by U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) National Water and Climate Center tracks snowpack sensor stations at multiple sites across the country providing an interactive US map of snow loads.

Tool determining the most economical and efficient photovoltaic array location and position.

Manual describing the installation process for Craneboard insulated vinyl siding; while installation is similar across insulated vinyl siding products, see manufacturers for specific guidance.

Handheld solar site analysis tool capturing whole-horizon images for a site and generating shading analysis reports.

Standard establishing requirements for the performance and installation of gasketing systems including mortised to doors, frames or both which was published in the year 2021 and a can be purchased to be viewed in full from the ANSI webstore in the link.

Standard describing methods for installing radon mitigation systems in existing residential buildings three stories or less in height which was published in the year 2021 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Standard specification covering elastomeric cellular preformed gasket and sealing materials. This version of the standard was published in the year 2021 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. Other versions of the standard were published in the years 2015, 2011, 2006, and...

ASTM standard for wood-composite decking and guardrail materials under a variety of tests, including fire performance and UV resistance. Available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Test method designed to calculate an assigned air permeance of flexible sheet or rigid panel-type materials at a reference air pressure differential of 75 Pa which was published in the year 2021 and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link.

Standard describing a test method for mold growth resistance on interior coatings such as paint in an environmental chamber; the 2021 version of this standard is available for preview and purchase at the referenced link.

Test method providing a rapid means of determining the steady-state thermal transmission properties of thermal insulations and other materials with a high level of accuracy when the apparatus has been calibrated appropriately. This version of the standard was published in the year 2021 and is...

Bill requiring the Consumer Product Safety Commission to revise the safety standards for freestanding clothing storage units such as a dressers, bureaus, or chests of drawers to include testing related to tip overs and new warning requirements for all such products entering the U.S. market; passed...

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

Article defining structural design loads and ways to calculate them, including dead loads, live loads, soil lateral loads, wind loads, snow loads, earthquake loads, and other loads.

Report presenting safe room designs and showing the homeowner and builder/contractor or local design professional how to construct a safe room for a home or small business.

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

Study comparing the thermal performance of phase change materials to concrete construction during heat waves.

Standard providing industry-backed information for assessing new and existing HVAC systems, evaluating and verifying the cleanliness of HVAC system components, preventing job related hazards and guiding the cleaning and restoration of HVAC systems to a specific level of cleanliness.

Standard 55 specifies conditions for acceptable thermal environments and is intended for use in design, operation, and commissioning of buildings and other occupied spaces; is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2021, and is available for preview and purchase at the...

Guide from Energy Star on smart thermostats and offering some guidance for choosing one.

Online course describing the behavior of wildfires for firefighters.

Documents describing Flood Resistant Provisions of codes published by the International Association of Plumbing and Mechanical Officers (IAPMO): the Uniform Mechanical Code; Uniform Plumbing Code; Uniform Swimming Pool, Spa and Hot Tub Code; and Uniform Solar, Hydronics and Geothermal Code (Uniform...

Webpage from Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) on identifying key problem spots on unreinforced masonry chimneys and how to retrofit them to withstand seismic forces.

EPA WaterSense guidance on urinals.