Library

Fact sheet summarizing NFIP requirements, general guidelines, and recommendations concerning the construction and installation of decks, access stairs and elevators, swimming pools, and accessory buildings under or near coastal residential buildings; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s...

Fact sheet describing design and construction practices that reduce the likelihood of flood damage in the event that flood levels exceed the BFE, including illustrations of appropriate construction practices; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

Document providing design guidance and software tool information for forced-air HVAC systems.

Information about dense pack, cellulose insulation.

Information sheet providing information about investigating the thermal effect of staggering the inner and outer wall studs on double walls in new construction.

Brochure describing drainage planes, also referred to as water resistive barriers.

Information sheet with HVAC duct insulation, testing, maintenance and performance information.

Report providing an introduction to the NEHRP recommended seismic provisions for new buildings and other structures.

Presentation describing the history of ECM motors, an overview of ECM motor technology, and a lesson on the installation of ECM motors.

The objective of this research was to quantify the field performance of wood-frame walls clad with a variety of common claddings in a mixed-humid climate.

Federal statistics about national energy consumption in residential homes.

Fact sheet describing requirements and recommendations for enclosures and breakaway walls for their use below the BFE, including a diagram of a compliant wall system and examples of systems that have either resulted in increased damages or increased flood insurance premiums; also published in FEMA P...

Discussion of structural thermal resistance.

Document comparing simulation results from a modified version of the EnergyGauge program to include various HVAC runtime strategies.

Paper describing the effects of tree shade on residential electricity consumption and energy savings in summer and winter.

A standard providing minimum energy efficiency requirements for buildings that are not low-rise residential buildings.

Information sheet with details on a building enclosure designed for Albuquerque, NM, as an example for building enclosures built for hot-dry and mixed-dry climates.

Report evaluating the accuracy of the regression technique used in 2006 by using the same least-squares regression analysis on data created from hourly energy simulation software.

Document providing an example procedure for establishing acceptance-range criteria to assess results from software undergoing BESTEST-EX.

Report on the performance of range hood exhaust fans.

Report presenting the process of a residential retrofit project for houses in the states of Florida and Alabama, including findings at the time of reporting and highlights of the first home to meet the target HERS Index of 70.

Article from Building Science Corporation on construction techniques for extreme heat conditions in Dubai and Las Vegas.

Information sheet about what length screws should be used, and how closely to space the screws when fastening furring strips to a foam-sheathed wall.

Document explores alternatives to riprap on banks and waterways to mitigate bankside erosion in the Pacific Northwest.

Map of the wind-borne debris region of Florida

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.

Article describing five fundamental changes to building construction from the last 50 years and their modern construction consequences.

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

Fact sheet describing the use of foundation walls in coastal buildings, including footing embedment, wall height, materials and workmanship, lateral support, flood openings and ventilation requirements, and interior grade elevations for crawlspaces; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide...

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.”

Guides describing frost-protected shallow foundations as an alternative method for building an energy-efficient foundation for a house in a cold climate that uses less concrete and saves on labor.

Brochure on specifications for PV systems.

Brochure on specifications for solar thermal systems.

Webpage from Washington State Department of Health describing how to use backup generators properly to not overload during a power outage.

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

Information sheet about groundwater control.

Document that gives a step-by-step approach for designing attachments for cladding materials through foam sheathing.

Guide describing refrigeration leaks, including common leak points, how to fix them, and how to prevent them.

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

Case study of new home construction in the hot-dry and mixed-dry climate zones.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Brochure describing advanced framing techniques.

Information sheet about air barriers.

Brochure describing insulation and air-sealing details.

Document providing a roadmap to aid Habitat for Humanity affiliates in building high performing houses by using materials and techniques that are affordable, do not add any maintenance burden, and are volunteer friendly.

Report that considers a number of promising wall systems that can meet the requirement for better thermal control.

Report containing 37 fact sheets that provide technical guidance and recommendations concerning the construction of coastal residential buildings.

A guide that summarizes building materials and design considerations for increasing wildfire-resistivity of homes in areas that are prone to wildfires.

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...