Library

Information sheet about air barriers.

Brochure describing insulation and air-sealing details.

Webpage listing research projects studying deep energy retrofits of homes in Florida.

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...

Resource that explains how water softeners work to reduce scale.

ENERGY STAR webpage describing how a heat pump water heater works.

Factsheet describing how to partially install a heat pump in a manufactured home in the manufactured home factory.

A website providing a checklist of important areas to check when sealing holes inside and outside of the home to prevent entry by rodents and other outside pests.

Includes several good how-to videos for anchoring furniture to different wall types

Report describing the identification of barriers and proposed practical solutions for the design, installation, and market adoption of heat pump water heaters in new low-rise multifamily housing, focusing on studio and one-bedroom units.

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

NOAA webpage providing images and short descriptions of different types of hurricane shutters.

Ignition resistant residential construction and landscaping guidelines from FireSafe Montana.

This webpage provides an interactive walk-through of the installation of a heat pump water heater in a home in Massachusetts, including how-to videos of the installation, video interviews with the homeowners, installer, and utility program partners, and visual tours of the home before and after...

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.

Report describing research conducted to support California’s Title 24, Part 6 Building Energy Efficiency Standards by analyzing the impact of installation location and ventilation on heat pump water heater (HPWH) performance, emphasizing the need for proper installation to maximize efficiency...

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.

Presentation detailing key challenges with lighting controls, best practices for the design and implementation of lighting controls, and best approaches for return on controls.

Web article describing two options for sizing ductless minisplit heat pumps, including a free HVAC sizing tool.

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...

This webpage provides an interactive walk-through of the installation of a heat pump water heater in a home in Maine, including how-to videos of the installation, video interviews with the homeowners, installer, and utility program partners, and visual tours of the home before and after installation...

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

Factsheet describing how to test the duct leakage of a manufactured home in the manufactured home factory.

Website providing links to the EPA developed map of radon risk in the United States.

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.”

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.

Online course providing an overview of mold prevention and mold remediation.

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.

Database compiling extended capacity data for numerous cold climate heat pump manufacturers and models.

Webpage outlining important considerations when remodeling, including for maintaining healthy air and keeping radon, dirt, and moisture out.

Building science insight into crawlspaces.

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

Standard for determining fenestration attachment product SHGC and visible transmittance.

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.

Website to access Oregon state specialty code. Chapter 11 contains requirements concerning energy efficiency measures in residential buildings.

Standards for paints and coatings.

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

Technical report describing research aimed to provide window manufacturers with foundational guidance for installing windows in walls with continuous insulation (CI), addressing critical aspects such as evaluating common installation methods, establishing acceptance criteria for window performance...