Sales of newly built, single-family homes rose 15.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 437,000 units in January, according to newly released figures from HUD and the U.S. Census Bureau.

The U.S. Department of Energy says that in a typical residential or commercial building, about 42 percent of energy is lost through doors, roofs, attics, walls, floors, and foundations.

New design values for all sizes and grades of visually graded Southern Pine dimension lumber were published Feb. 11 in the Southern Pine Inspection Bureau’s Supplement No. 13 to the 2002 Standard Grading Rules for Southern Pine Lumber.

WDMA I.S.6A-11 and WDMA I.S.1A-11 are now open for their second ballot for recognition as American National Standards.

The Cool Roof Rating Council says the American National Standards Institute has given final approval of its ANSI/CRRC-1-2012 Standard after a two-year public review process.

The Environmental Protection Agency says it will drop the numeric limit it set for stormwater runoff at construction sites. The move helps settle a lawsuit filed by NAHB, Utility Water Act Group, and Wisconsin Builders Association.

New Jersey will adopt the recently released Federal Emergency Management Agency advisory base flood elevation maps as part of its building standard.