Research In a study conducted in collaboration with the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, IBHS evaluated the long‐term effectiveness of two fire‐retardant gels when applied to a wood‐based substrate. Gels are a type of coating meant to provide protection for a short period, a few hours, and are typically applied manually just prior to…
Research Post-hurricane damage assessments have documented the failure of wall components and connections including the loss of various types of siding materials. In addition, recent US model building/energy code changes are expected to lead to increased use of continuous insulation, particularly foam sheathing attached to the exterior surface of light-frame wall framing, to achieve advanced…
The vulnerability of thousands of communities and neighborhoods remains a significant knowledge gap that must be closed. In the meantime, home and business owners need to adopt a more defensive mind set.
Florence and Michael brought punishing wind, wind-driven rain and storm surge, exploiting the weakness inherent in thousands of properties. However, they also offered stark evidence that we can build defensively and narrow the path of damage.
Research IBHS wind testing of asphalt shingle products has demonstrated that the most important factor affecting high-wind performance for self-sealing asphalt shingles is the strength of the seal between shingles. Self-sealing asphalt shingles contain a temperature-activated adhesive strip applied during the manufacturing process, which is used to adhere the lower-edge bottom surface of the exposed…
Research IBHS tests the impact resistance commercially available asphalt shingles using both 1.5- and 2.0-inch diameter laboratory manufactured hailstones using the IBHS hail impact testing protocol. Laboratory and field research by IBHS has shown that the impact energy and material properties of laboratory hailstone sizes can be directly related to typical natural hailstones in non-wind…
Research Wildfire activity is on the rise and with this comes an increased impact on buildings, including homes and businesses, in the wildland-urban interface. Residents and business owners can take steps to reduce the risk to their property located in wildfire-prone areas. Eliminating fuels from the immediate area surrounding the building, as referred to as…
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Vulnerable Populations Disaster-related loss prevention encompasses a wide range of activities that should be undertaken to increase the likelihood that homes, workplaces, and essential public buildings can survive a natural or human-induced catastrophe. Improving this capability must be a national priority, public health objective, economic imperative and humanitarian obligation. Nowhere is this more important than…
IBHS has identified the following five concepts as central to the economics of community disaster resilience: (1) the importance of “going green and building strong”; (2) residential and commercial building performance; (3) emergency preparation and response as a shared responsibility; (4) building codes as a threshold, but not end goal; and (5) the need for…
