Skip to main content

Durability by Design: A Guide for Residential Builders and Designers

HUD.GOV HUDUser.gov
eList
HUDUSERNEWS

Heavy rain penetrating a building's exterior shell
without an opportunity to drain or dry out rapidly
causes wood framing to rot, steel to corrode, and
creates favorable conditions for mold and mildew.
This common - and potentially disastrous - housing
durability problem can be prevented by using
appropriate roof designs and moisture-resistant
materials, such as housewraps and flashing.

Water damage is one of several housing durability
issues discussed in "Durability by Design: A Guide for
Residential Builders and Designers." The Partnership
for Advancing Technology in Housing (PATH) published
Durability by Design as a best practice resource for
designers, builders, and homeowners interested in
learning about how to prevent or address the most
common housing durability problems. The first two
chapters introduce concepts related to durability and
their importance. The last six chapters are devoted to
ground and surface water, rain and water vapor,
sunlight, insects, decay and corrosion, natural
hazards, and miscellaneous issues, such as finishes
and air leakage.

WHY IS DURABILITY IMPORTANT?

Durability is governed by a complex set of physical
interactions that have a significant impact on long-
term building performance. When durability is
compromised, there can be substantial economic
consequences, which can be further compounded by
concerns relating to occupant health. In either event,
poor durability is costly for builders and homeowners
alike. Builder callbacks to fix durability problems
have a negative impact on the builders' bottom line
and reputation and even when health issues are not a
concern, durability failures often increase
homeowners' operating and maintenance costs.

A DIFFERENT KIND OF NATURAL DISASTER

Rooms bathed in sunlight are generally desirable, but
the combination of visible light and non-visible
radiation can cause substantial wear on housing
structures. The sun produces both chemical and
physical reactions that attack materials and shorten
their life expectancy. These reactions can cause
interior and exterior paint color to fade, premature
asphalt roof shingle failure, and warping and
discoloration of vinyl siding. Durability by Design
discusses types of solar radiation damage and
describes options for preventing it. For example,
properly sized roof overhangs can minimize solar
exposure on interior and exterior walls.

Natural elements like sun and water are not the only
potential threats to housing durability. Pests such as
termites, carpenter ants, wood-boring beetles, and
carpenter bees also pose a threat to wood structures.
PATH's new publication reviews practices for
controlling pest damage and describes the advantages
and limitations of each. For example, builders can use
termite-resistant materials (such as concrete and
masonry building materials) instead of wood. Chemical
treatments are also effective, but must be
periodically reapplied.

For each factor that hinders structural durability,
Durability by Design offers several solutions, while
taking into account the fact that cost effectiveness
is a priority for both builders and consumers. PATH's
latest offering concludes with appendices containing
helpful durability checklists for builders and
homeowners.

A complete copy of "Durability by Design: A Guide for
Builders and Designers" is available at
https://www.huduser.gov/portal/publications/destech/durdesign.html
or through HUD USER.

Please note that HUD USER has moved. You may wish to
update your contact information as follows:

HUD USER
P.O. Box 23268
Washington, DC 20026-3268 (updated)

1-800-245-2691 (unchanged)
1-800-927-7589 (TDD) (updated)
202-708-9981 (fax) (updated)

--------------------------------------

The HUD USER News listserv was created to keep
professionals in the fields of housing and community
development abreast of new research and resources
available from the U.S. Department of Housing and
Urban Development's Office of Policy Development and
Research (PD&R). Periodically, publications and
announcements will be sent via the listserv.

Share HUD USER's resources and information with a
colleague. Please consider forwarding this e-mail to
an associate who may be interested in the resources
HUD USER has to offer. Thanks!

To stay abreast of new HUD research and resources,
subscribe to HUD USER News. This listserv will
automatically e-mail you publication announcements and
other notices from HUD's Office of Policy Development
and Research. To subscribe, send a message to:
hudusernews@huduser.gov. In the subject of the
message, type: subscribe. For example:
To: hudusernews@huduser.gov
Subject: subscribe

You will receive a confirmation message with
instructions on how to post messages to the list,
search the message archives, and unsubscribe. You may
use your web browser to search the listserv message
archives at https://www.huduser.gov/portal/elist/archive.html
--------------------------------------------

You were e-mailed this HUD USER News update because
you expressed interest in receiving a weekly e-mail to
stay abreast of new HUD research and resources. If you
no longer wish to receive this e-mail, please send an
e-mail to hudusernews@huduser.gov with "unsubscribe"
as the SUBJECT.