Library

Checklist intending to clarify FORTIFIED Home™ eligibility requirements that relate to a home’s foundation.

Checklist providing prescriptive instructions on how to retrofit ladder framing on gable end overhangs to achieve a maximum depth of 18 in. from the face of the wall.

Fact sheet instructing installers about flashing installed on a FORTIFIED roof and points to roof covering manufacturers for flashing installation instructions.

Guide describing retrofit procedures for gable end roofs.

A builder's guide describing hurricane-resistant reinforcements for gable ends.

Report investigating the status of the geothermal heat pump (GHP) industry and technology in the United States, assembling GHP energy savings potential, identifying key barriers to application of GHPs, and identifying actions that could accelerate adoption of GHPs.

Report covering the fire performance of combustible cladding over combustible insulation.

Report about indoor air quality related to indoor mold growth.

Report providing a collection of fact sheets describing guidance for constructing homes in wildfire zones.

Report about measurements of three recent vintage dishwashers of very different efficiencies showing that while they are substantially more efficient than older dishwashers.

Article describing how omission of two small but critical wall details, a kick-out flashing and a weep screed, lead to extensive water damage to a wall.

Fact Sheet describing the need for supplemental dehumidification, dehumidifier configuration options, and design considerations.

Article presenting the 2008 update on the 2006 details on when required hurricane mitigation retrofits are required and the cost cap on required hurricane mitigation retrofits.

Article describing issues with condensation in unvented attics insulated with open-cell spray foam.

Book providing project management guidance in maintaining satisfactory indoor air quality (IAQ) of occupied buildings undergoing renovation or construction.

Article describing how air speed affects thermal comfort and how fans can provide energy savings.

Guide detailing best practices on how to build wall assemblies with absorptive claddings such as brick, stone that drain and dry well.

Article from Building Science Corporation explaining 'wash and wear buildings' that are designed to be flooded and washed out afterwards.

Report providing general guidelines for the installation of rolled erosion control products.

Article describing the second step of a three-step process for the installation a tubular skylight, using peel-and-stick flashing tape instead of roof cement, and integrating the roof underlayment with the flashing.

Report describing the objective evaluation of space conditioning interactions between heat pump water heaters and home heating systems during winter 2016-2017, revealing a smaller than anticipated impact on space conditioning loads.

Report about promoting energy efficiency for Hilton Head Island.

Report covering reservoir claddings, back ventilation and vapor throttles.

Article explaining how to use integrated pest management to choose methods of pest control that are safe and effective.

Webpage describing how to conserve heat or find alternative heat sources during a power outage to keep one room warm.

The light-emitting diode (LED) is one of today's most energy-efficient and rapidly-developing lighting technologies.

ENERGY STAR lightbulb criteria.

Webpage describing high-efficiency lighting choices for homeowners including LEDs, CFLs, and halogen bulbs.

Article describing lessons for builders and changes to local building code in Colorado Springs in response to regional wildfires.

Factsheet with information on energy efficient pool pumps.

Report describing the installation and operation of forced-air heating and domestic hot water combi systems in residential homes.

Report describing the most cost-effective ventilation and indoor air quality solutions for multifamily homes that meet ASHRAE 62.2-2016.

Web resource that lays out the pre-work considerations, methods and finishes for installing mechanical insulation.

Standard establishing a test procedure for evaluating the performance of air-cleaning devices as a function of particle size. This is the current version of the standard, which was published in the year 2017, and is available for preview and purchase at the reference link. The ASHRAE bookstore also...

Document describing common questions about moisture, mold, and wood.

Conference paper making the case that moving ducts to conditioned space saves energy, is practical for production builders (when accompanied by careful pre-planning), and creates significant andmarketable energy savings for homebuyers.

Report discussing development of scopes of work and quality management for builders in mixed-humid climates.

Study in which a central heat pump water heater system was monitored in detail and used to create a model for assessing similar systems in various climates.

Report updating and expanding on a 2005 study that found, among other things, that every $1 of natural hazard mitigation funded by FEMA between 1993 and 2003 saved the American people an average of $4 in avoided future losses.

An NFPA Standard that identifies a method for determining the minimum water supply necessary for structural fire-fighting purposes in areas where it has been determined that there is no water or inadequate water for fire fighting.

Report about an experimental evaluation has been conducted on a night sky cooling system designed to substantially reduce space cooling needs in homes in North American climates.

Report providing guidance on protecting foundation walls and enclosures from flood damage.

Report briefly reviewing past research on the effects of occupant behavior on residential energy use and then covering a two year pilot evaluation of a low cost residential energy feedback system installed in twenty case study homes in Florida.

Guide describing flood protection measures for utility systems, including mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and fuel.

Document outlining the approach to quality assurance in the construction process as recommended by Building Science Corporation for new residential construction.

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices to reduce the likelihood of water intrusion in walls and foundations in residential construction.

Flyer describing reasons and best practices for raising electrical systems above flood-levels.

Website providing information about how to keep the properties rat-free and address conditions that can lead to rats.

Report covering the reconstruction of flood damaged homes.

Information about recycling CFL lightbulbs.