Library

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

Report identifying Building America and 2021 International Energy Conservation Code climate zone designations for every county in the United States; where a county's climate zone designation has changed since the 2018 IECC, that change is indicated as well.

Report describing a laboratory assessment that provides insights into space requirements and venting strategies for heat pump water heaters (HPWH) to enhance retrofit installations and provide actionable guidance for manufacturers, designers, engineers, installers, and owners.

Federal webpage providing information regarding extreme heat and health for the United States.

Report providing information for HVAC designers, installers, and consumers about air source heat pumps.

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

Website providing information on low-energy and standard cooling systems, with a focus on saving energy.

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...

An article and video of a breakdown on the preparation and installation of basement insulation.

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

Software tool available free online that can help calculate heating and cooling requirements to accurately size HVAC equipment in as little as 15 minutes.

Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

Study using simulations to understand the impact that shading and natural ventilation would have had on the survivability of non-air-conditioned buildings during the 2021 heat wave in the Pacific Northwest.

Factsheet describing techniques for installing ductless heat pumps in cold climate locations.

Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

Website providing a probabilistic map of the expected number of damaging earthquakes around the U.S.

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.

Federal Trade Commission (FTC) Regulation 16 CFR Part 460: Federal regulation on labeling of home insulation products.

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.

Report describing the costs of electric vehicle charging stations in the United States.

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...

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...

Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, earthquake, wind, and fire loads, and their combinations for general structural design. This version of the standard was published in the year 2016 and is available in both digital...

Standard using performance-based principles to determine dead, live, soil, flood, tsunami, snow, rain, atmospheric ice, seismic, and wind loads, and their combinations for general structural design. The current version of this standard was published in the year 2022 and is available in both digital...

Webpage for the CEC’s Modern Appliance Efficiency Database System

List of appliance brands and models, showing their performance and efficiency as tested by the appropriate standard.

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.”

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.

Article describing mulch requirements and benefits.

Article describing mulching with lawn clippings.

Pamphlet describing different types of mulches and their benefits.

Database from the National Fenestration Rating Council providing a directory of NFRC-certified window products searchable by manufacturer, product type, CPD number, or various NFRC label specifications.

Online geospatial map with interactive viewer showing flood risk areas and base flood elevations

Resources describing the National Flood Insurance Program's technical bulletins for flood zone construction, including foundation walls, corrosion protection, floodproofing, and breakaway walls among other topics.

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

DOE Energy Saver webpage providing a brief summary of natural ventilation for houses.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

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