Library

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 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...

Article from RMI on how climate change is leading to an increase in critical extreme heat hours and what smart building strategies can be taken to mitigate some of these effects including paint color and insulation.

Article from Montana State University Extension explaining how proper insulation techniques can greatly reduce the risks of ice dams on roofs in cold climate zones.

Factsheet describing proper methods for installing vinyl siding and soffit coverings in high wind and coastal areas.

Report describing the hurricane retrofit guide with focus on walls and wooded framed walls.

Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

A factsheet providing information on how to prevent pests from entering the home by sealing cracks and openings.

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Video describing how a frost-protected shallow foundation (FPSF) is constructed and including use of a stay-in-place EPS (expanded polystyrene) footing form that provides insulation and simplifies the installation of frost-protected monolithic concrete slab foundations.

Article describing methods for designing and constructing multifamily buildings with insulating concrete forms (ICFs).

The purpose for this document is to provide basic guidance on the use of proven installation techniques that can be used by installers to help ensure correct “dense pack” application of JM Spider® in drill & fill applications.

Guide describing tools for island and hurricane-prone communities on redevelopment and rehabilitation of homes to prepare for future natural disasters.

EPA’s 2008 Lead-Based Paint Renovation, Repair and Painting (RRP) Rule (as amended in 2010 and 2011), aims to protect the public from lead-based paint hazards associated with renovation, repair and painting activities.

Webpage describing a lightbulb exchange program in Fairfax county, VA.

Factsheet describing the concept of load paths and the important connections in a wind uplift load path; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Document presenting a cost effective method that was used by four builders in the Gainesville, FL area to construct interior ducts in over a dozen site built homes.

Fact sheet defining “lowest floor,” identifying common construction practices that are violations of NFIP regulations, and discussing benefits of exceeding the NFIP minimum building elevation requirements; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

A webpage outlining CAL FIRE’s recommendations for creating defensible space.

Webpage from Boston Solar describing how solar plus storage options can be beneficial for maintaining electricity during power outages.

If your kitchen has a powerful exhaust fan, it may be pulling air down your chimney or water-heater flue.

Fact sheet describing important roof-to-wall and wall-to-foundation connection details for masonry construction in coastal areas, including load paths, building materials, and reinforcement; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Fact sheet describing practices for minimizing water intrusion through roof vent systems, which can lead to interior damage and mold growth in high-wind regions, including soffit vents, ridge vents, gable end vents, off-ridge vents, gable rake vents, and turbines; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home...

Fact sheet describing how typical wall moisture barrier systems work, the moisture barrier system and common problems associated with them; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact Sheet Series.”

Article describing how moisture accumulates inside of structures and issues that result.

Document describing a hygrothermal modeling study, including all of the US climate zones, a range of interior humidity levels and numerous arrangements and types of insulation.

Information sheet about mold mitigation.

Report describing the interactions, both positive and negative, between common green building practices and the robustness of residential buildings to withstand natural hazards.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

NFPA standard for design and installation of indoor automatic fire sprinkler systems.

Standard providing a procedure for determining fenestration attachment product U-factors.

Standard for determining fenestration attachment product SHGC and visible transmittance.

A nine-part fact sheet covering a variety of common questions surrounding wildfires and how to make a home more resilient to wildfires.

Fact sheet providing guidance on alternative building materials and techniques in coastal environments, including Engineered Wood Products, SIPs, ICFs, Prefabricated Shear Walls and Moment Frames, Sprayed Closed-Cell Foam Insulation, Advanced Wall Framing, and Modular Houses; also published in FEMA...

Report providing quick reference guide information to help a family prepare for hurricane season, including seven steps to a wind resistant home, a wind inspection checklist, and how to find a contractor.

Report highlighting the evaluation methods used and extent of wind washing found in a study analyzing wind washing in thirty-two two-story homes.

Report presenting the results of a study evaluating retrofit solutions for addressing the effects of wind washing on homes.

Standards for paints and coatings.

Paper examining the monitored performance of four newly constructed near zero energy homes in Florida.

Report providing information on performance of mortars and concrete containing PCMs.

Fact sheet describing basic information about pile design and installation, including pile types, sizes and lengths, layout, installation methods, bracing, field cutting, connections, and verifying capacities; also published in FEMA P-499 “Home Builder’s Guide to Coastal Construction: Technical Fact...

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.

Large scale simulation study investigating the effects of cool roofs and walls on buildings of various vintages across the U.S., with special attention given to California.

Document with information about the most practical methods to achieve whole-wall performance of R-30 or above.

Webpage describing steps homeowners can take to prepare their home and car for winter storms.