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A resilient home can be quickly restored at minimal cost to a healthy, comfortable home after a disaster. Take control with these resilient home improvements.
Understanding the main sources of heat gain in your home is the key to choosing the best ways to cut summer utility bills while staying cool and comfortable.
List of donors to LaHouse project.
Seminar and tour about common causes of moisture problems and best practices in home construction to keep it dry.
3-day course provides building science insights and methods for safe and effective mold removal and control in buildings.
Here are some toll-free numbers set up to provide disaster assistance:
Unfortunately, hurricane season does not end with the busy start of school each fall. There are LSU Ag Center on-line resources available to aid you in planning and preparing your family.
Steps to take to file an insurance claim following a disaster.
The flood insurance policy provides limited coverage for expenses you incur trying to protect insured property from flood damage.
In this table-top, hands-on activity children will become aware of the importance of elevation to prevent flood damage.
Giving your baby a good beginning is important in helping him or her mature and properly develop
Protecting the window openings of a house is probably one of the most important steps a person can take to protect their family and belongings. When a hurricane hits, high winds and pounding rains are the result. High winds can cause objects such as roof tiles, branches, garbage cans and so on to become projectiles. When this happens, the outer envelope – the separation between the interior and the exterior environments of a building is at risk.
Learn how to inspect and treat your home for Formosan subterranean termites.
If you protect a building with a floodwall, sealant, plastic wrap or any other barrier, you will need to pump water during floods.
You can keep shallow flood water out of a slab-on-grade home using plastic sheeting supported by the wall of the building or on special stands away from the wall. This is an emergency protection measure that is more effective than using sandbags, but does require advance preparation.
Healthy Beginnings for Your Baby is a 6 part series of classes provided for pregnant women or parents of infants.
Use this checklist to explore features and components of a sustainable Louisiana house.
The goal is safe and independent living for just about anyone.
Biological air pollutants affect the health of more people than any other indoor pollutant...
The grounds of LaHouse include sustainable landscape features.
Louisiana House Home & Landscape Resource Center
A flood-damaged building requires special attention to avoid or correct a mold population explosion.
This fact sheet has frequently asked questions about heartworm disease in dogs.
What parents and school staff can do to ensure safe and healthy drinking water in long vacant buildings where stagnant water could contain bacteria and lead.
Sandbags can be used to fill gaps in a permanent flood protection system, to raise an existing levee or to build a complete emergency levee.This publication contains information on filling and stacking sandbags and on using them for short walls and full levees.
A floodwall is a self-supporting barrier to floodwater. It may look like a garden wall or privacy fence, but it has more internal reinforcing and a more substantial foundation. This heavier construction keeps the wall from tipping or sliding. The foundation also blocks seepage of water under the wall. This publication includes information on the cost, considerations and construction of floodwalls.
When you return to your home, make sure you assess all food and food preparation areas and equipment carefully.
When disasters happen, dedicated volunteers and professionals swing into action to help those affected by the tragedy. But who takes care of the "helpers"?
Disinfecting a well can sometimes be done by the well owner; however, for some wells it can be difficult to get the disinfectant into the well or other parts of the system that need disinfecting. If professional help is not available for cleaning the well, follow these procedures.
FEMA released a Levees Brochure during the Spring 2011 Floods, explaining NFIP coverage behind levees, for protective measures and the waiting period. This page is copied directly from that brochure and includes a PDF of the original document as an attachment.
Elevating or moving slab-built structures has been practiced for many years in a handful of states.
When you do not have enough money to cover your family’s basic living expenses and pay all your creditors, you face some difficult financial decisions.
After a major storm or flood, you must assume that all water sources are contaminated until proved safe. Food that has been contaminated by floodwater also should be handled carefully. Information includeshow to disinfect water, flooded foods that should be discarded and foods that are safe to use. (PDF Format Only)
It’s time to pull out your family disaster plan. Even if you don’t have one, there are still things you can do!
Each year, hundreds of thousands of consumers complain to their state attorneys general about home repair ripoffs. The National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators, in fact, says home repairs are second only to car repairs on the nation’s complaint list. (PDF format only)
The phrase “wet floodproofing” may sound like a contradiction, but it is the label used to refer to a collection of methods intended to reduce damage to a building when flooding occurs. This publication explains how wet floodproofing lets water into the building but protects the structure, contents and building systems independently. (PDF format only)
Emergency generators become popular after disasters. They can help save food in freezers and refrigerators, but they also may be dangerous if not used properly. Follow these tips for using your generator safely. (PDF format only)
Chainsaws are popular tools for both homeowners and professionals because they have so many uses – tree trimming, cutting firewood, cleaning up after storms, etc. Although chainsaws are handy, they are potentially dangerous and must be used carefully to avoid serious injury. Information on protective equipment, kickback, fuel safety and cutting is included. (PDF Format Only)
Elevation is the most reliable method of reducing damage from floods.
Storms can bring high winds, heavy rains and lightning strikes that cause trees to lose branches, split, break and uproot. Find out what to do after a storm and before the next storm approaches. (PDF Format Only)
Hiring a qualified contractor for mold remediation is not required but generally is safer and more effective than a "do-it-yourself" approach because of the use of specialized equipment. In either case, you should carefully follow safety precautions to reduce exposure to mold. This publication provides guidance on safe and effective mold remediation practices and how to select a qualified remediation professional.
Guidelines to help you safely and effectively clean and restore your damaged home.
Are you thinking about adding a solar energy system to your home to generate electricity? If so, this consumer guide will help you explore various options, ask important questions and make a well-informed decision. (PDF Format Only)
Proper construction techniques help to keep your roof where it belongs in a storm...
Use multiple methods to make your home resistant to termites and other wood-destroying insects.
Imagine turning your house upside down and shaking it....
Heat moves three ways...
You don’t have to give up comfort to control your heating bill. Here are winter energy saving strategies for southern homes that offer best bang for the buck.
One Saturday each season, LaHouse opens its doors outside its normal weekday operating hours and has experts on hand to answer questions.
Portal to the Flood Insurance Rate Maps. Indicates the age of the Effective FIRM, and shows parishes that have new flood risk information available.
Contractors are required to maintain Lead-Safe certification for the EPA Lead Renovation, Repair and Painting Rule (RRP). You play an important role in preventing lead poisoning!
As the energy-efficiency bar rises, the margin for error shrinks. Join this 3-day workshop to gain expertise in building science concepts that are key to prevent, diagnose and solve problems. You’ll learn best practice methods for HVAC design and crucial air sealing techniques to achieve the 2009 IRC energy code duct tightness provisions. This course also includes Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) verifier training and certification.
Become a certified Duct and Envelope Tightness (DET) Verifier qualified to perform the diagnostic testing required for new homes.
