Hurricane Andrew slammed into South Florida 30 years ago devastating local communities, destroying entire neighborhoods and killing dozens. As a result, building codes were redesigned across Florida and the coastal U.S., manufacturers developed stronger fenestration products and forecasting tools were developed to better prepare. When Andrew struck South Florida in 1992, there were more than […]

The fenestration and glazing industries should prepare for an increased focus on U.S. code updates, says Kathy Krafka Harkema, Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance technical operations director. She told participants at the FGIA 2022 Virtual Summer Conference last week that the Department of Energy will use $225 million from the bipartisan infrastructure law to help […]

Each year when May comes around, Building Safety Month comes with it, allowing industry professionals, including fenestration, to emphasize the importance of building codes to reduce building vulnerabilities. This year, the International Code Council (ICC) laid out a week-by-week plan for Building Safety Month. The third week focused on disaster preparedness and included a webinar […]

The preliminary voting results for several building codes including the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC) and the International Residential Code (IRC) have been released. Proposed updates and changes to building codes, which are managed by the International Code Council (ICC), are voted on every three years to incorporate new developments and meet modern-day minimum levels […]

New research showing that most Americans are misinformed about whether their community has up-to-date building codes underscores the importance of educating homeowners about the multiple benefits they stand to gain by making improvements to their properties, according to a consumer-advocacy group focused on raising awareness about building safety. “People make a lot of assumptions, but […]

When the Obama Administration announced public and private sector efforts to increase community resilience through building codes and standards last week, they highlighted many groups that are taking part in this effort. One of these groups is the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), which is committed to working with FEMA, other Federal agencies, […]

The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) released a midterm update to its Rating the States Report, which reviews the progress that the 18 most hurricane-prone coastal states along the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Coast have made in strengthening their residential building codes. “As we approach the anniversaries of Hurricanes Andrew […]