WASHINGTON, DC — The National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) have revised and updated two building industry publications, one on the inspection of older residential buildings, and the second on fire ratings of older building materials and assemblies.

“Residential Rehabilitation Inspection Guide,” the first publication, provides step-by-step technical information for evaluating a residential building’s site, exterior, interior, structural, electrical, plumbing, and hvac systems.

The second publication, “Fire Ratings of Archaic Materials and Assemblies,” is a compilation of fire ratings from earlier sources for a wide variety of materials and assemblies found in buildings from the 19th to the mid-20th centuries. It also provides methods for calculating the fire resistance of general classes of archaic materials and assemblies for which no documentation can be found, describes the latest assessment techniques, and supplies new information on doors.