IBHS Style GuideThis document provides guidance for grammar, usage and style to ensure consistency across IBHS content. The guide follows rules from The Gregg Reference Manual, 10th Edition as well as those established by IBHS employees. This document will be updated periodically to reflect any changes or additions to company style preferences. Last updated June 23, 2016.Table of Content

sIBHS Acronym............................................................................................................................ 3

About IBHS.................................................................................................................................3

IBHS’.......................................................................................................................................... 3

Programs/Standards Names......................................................................................................3

—Multiple Use of Trademark/Registered Symbols................................................................4

DisasterSafety.org......................................................................................................................4

ACRONYMS................................................................................................................................ 5

—“The” With Acronyms and Initialisms.................................................................................5

COMMAS................................................................................................................................... 5

—Oxford (Serial) Comma.......................................................................................................7

DASHES...................................................................................................................................... 7

—Hyphens............................................................................................................................. 8

—En Dash...............................................................................................................................8

—Em dash..............................................................................................................................9

DATES.......................................................................................................................................10

E.G. and I.E...............................................................................................................................10

ETC........................................................................................................................................... 11

HOWEVER................................................................................................................................ 11

LISTS.........................................................................................................................................12

—Vertical Lists..................................................................................................................... 12

MEASUREMENTS..................................................................................................................... 13

NOTES...................................................................................................................................... 13

NUMBERS................................................................................................................................ 13

Where building safety research leads to real-world solutions.4775 E. Fowler Ave., Tampa FL 33617 | (813) 286-3400 | DisasterSafety.org

—Age................................................................................................................................... 15

PERCENT.................................................................................................................................. 15

PREFIXES (pre-, post-, non-, etc.).............................................................................................16

PUNCTUATION.........................................................................................................................16

—Periods with Parentheses.................................................................................................16

—Parentheses within Parentheses......................................................................................16

—Punctuation with Quotation Marks..................................................................................16

SPACING (Between Sentences)................................................................................................17

SYMBOLS..................................................................................................................................17

—Inserting Symbols.............................................................................................................17

TEMPERATURE.........................................................................................................................18

THANK YOU..............................................................................................................................19

THAT........................................................................................................................................ 19

TIME.........................................................................................................................................19

TITLES.......................................................................................................................................19

—Capitalization....................................................................................................................19

—Titles of Other Works.......................................................................................................20

UNITED STATES........................................................................................................................20

URLs......................................................................................................................................... 20

ZIP CODE.................................................................................................................................. 21

TECHNICAL GUIDANCE.................................................................................................................22

MEASUREMENTS..................................................................................................................... 22

—Abbreviations...................................................................................................................22

—“By” (the “x” in Measurements).......................................................................................22

—Hyphens........................................................................................................................... 22

—Technical specs.................................................................................................................23

—# (Pound)..........................................................................................................................23

TERMS..........................................................................................................................................24

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IBHS Acronym Use & symbol and a lowercase “the” before name. Abbreviate IBHS after first reference without the use of “the.”

Information from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) is now available. IBHS is a headquartered in Tampa.

About IBHS Examples of approved copy describing IBHS:

As a research and communications association sponsored by property insurers, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety focuses on translating our building science research into real-world resilience.

Use the following text for the About IBHS section of press releases:

About the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)IBHS’ mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses, and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss.

For more information, visit our website at DisasterSafety.org. You can also follow us on Facebook (www.facebook.com/ disasterprep ) or Twitter @disastersafety.

IBHS’ Use IBHS’ to show possession, NOT IBHS’s

IBHS’ mission is to conduct objective, scientific research to identify and promote effective actions that strengthen homes, businesses, and communities against natural disasters and other causes of loss.

Programs/Standards NamesUse the following style when referring to IBHS programs and standards. (This does not list every possible combination, but should be used for guidance.)

FORTIFIED Commercial™FORTIFIED for Safer Business™

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FORTIFIED for Safer Living®FORTIFIED Home™FORTIFIED Home™ Evaluator / certified FORTIFIED Home™ EvaluatorFORTIFIED Home™–Hurricane FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind & Hail FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind standards FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind BronzeFORTIFIED Home™–High Wind SilverFORTIFIED Home™–High Wind GoldFORTIFIED Home™–High Wind Bronze designation certificate FORTIFIED Home™–High Wind Bronze – New Roof FORTIFIED Wise™FORTIFIED Wise™–AssociateFORTIFIED Wise™–Professional Resilience STAR™ (RSTAR) OFB-EZ®

Notes:1. The words designation, certificate, standard and certified are lowercase. 2. The dashes used in program names above are EN dashes. You can copy and paste from

the list above, or insert the symbols (Trademark, en dash, etc.) using directions from Inserting Symbols on page 17.

—Multiple Use of Trademark/Registered Symbols At minimum, the ™ and ® symbols should be used on first reference of a particular program, but can be omitted after that (in the same document).

FORTIFIED for Safer Business™ is an excellent resource for small business owners in every industry. Best of all, FORTIFIED for Safer Business is free and easy to use.

DisasterSafety.orgOmit “www.” and capitalize “DisasterSafety” when using IBHS website URLs

DisasterSafety.orgDisasterSafety.org/ibhs-risks-hurricaneDisasterSafety.org//wp-content/uploads/fortified-safer-living-standards-IBHS.pdf

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ACRONYMSSpell out the full name of an acronym on first use with the acronym following in parentheses. Afterward, use only the acronym (unless necessary for clarity to provide the full name again).

The program has been transitioned to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). FEMA is now managing the crisis to help storm victims receive emergency food and water.

When spelling out the full name of an acronym on first use, avoid using the possessive. If possible, reword the sentence. If you cannot reword, DO NOT make the acronym in parentheses possessive.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) new regulations require more thorough reporting on how funds are used. NOT (FEMA’s)

New regulations by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) require more thorough reporting on how funds are used.

—“The” With Acronyms and InitialismsWhen an abbreviation is pronounced like a word (like NOAA), it is an acronym and does not need “the.”

The government will provide additional funding to programs like NOAA.

When the abbreviation is pronounced letter-by-letter (like EPA), it is called an initialism and requires “the.”

The government provided additional funding to the EPA.

However, “the” is dropped when the initialism is used as an adjective.

The government recommended changes to EPA standards.IBHS applauds the new NOAA initiative.

COMMASUse commas to set off nonessential expressions including: (1) interrupting elements, (2) afterthoughts, (3) transitional expressions, and (4) descriptive expressions.

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1. The new report, not to mention the impressive video footage, will make a compelling argument for the new program.

Sarah Adams, rather than John Smith, will attend this year’s conference.

2. Send the report to senior management for approval, please.

The expense report will be approved, of course.

3. The company is determined, nevertheless, to resume training for newly hired staff.

The newly hired staff, on the other hand, is determined to postpone training.

4. The new report, which was published on our website last week, includes in-depth data collected from the hailstorm.

The most recent article, “Understanding Hailstorms,” will be published next month.

However: The article “Understanding Hailstorms” will be published next month.

Note: In the first instance, there is only 1 possible article being referenced, making the name of that article extra information. In the second instance, the name of the article is necessary for clarity, and therefore does not require commas.

Use commas to separate 2 main clauses in a compound sentence when they are joined by and, but, or nor (unless the sentence is very short).

Hurricane research is a top priority for the organization, but they will also continue to focus on other weather events such as derechos and tornadoes.

Sarah will attend the conference but she will not be presenting.

Use commas to separate 2 or more adjectives that modify the same noun. (Hint: if you could say the word “and” between the adjectives, use a comma.)

It was an exciting, hard-hitting campaign.

The hot, humid air is typical during this season.

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Use a comma after a dependent introductory clause.

Before we leave for the conference, you must complete the report.

To improve the process going forward, we will now include all committee members on the call.

Use a comma after an introductory element.

Yes, she will be attending the conference.

Considering the odds, she was very lucky.

However, you can choose to omit the comma after an ordinary introductory adverb or short introductory phrase that answers questions such as when, how often, where and why.

Tomorrow she will leave for the conference.

Occasionally she presents the annual statistics on behalf of the company president.

Once in a while they present together.

—Oxford (Serial) CommaThis type of comma separates items in a list. Err on the side of fewer commas; only use a serial comma when necessary for clarity.

The storm created large amounts of rain, snow and hail.

The study examined many different variables including roofing materials, the age of each home, and radar-estimated hail sizes.

DASHESDashes are different than hyphens.

hyphen -en dash –em dash —

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—HyphensWhen two or more words collectively act as an adjective (compound adjective) and appear immediately before the noun they are modifying, they should be hyphenated to prevent misreading. Note: Even when these expressions are moved elsewhere in the sentence but maintain this inverted word order or altered form, you should still hyphenate.

Ridge vents that are rated to resist the entry of wind-driven rain are preferable.Extensive rain can wreak havoc on homes, particularly when it is wind-driven.

IBHS provides links to detailed, region-specific information about wildfire hazards. Information in the IBHS wildfire guides are region-specific.

Note: Do not use a hyphen after adverbs ending in –ly since it is unlikely to be misread. Not all words ending in –ly are adverbs.

The poorly written report was rejected by the publication. (poorly is an adverb)

A friendly-looking dog appeared at the test site. (friendly is an adjective, not an adverb)

—En DashUse an en dash between number and date ranges, with no spaces on either side of the en dash. Also use in place of a minus sign.

The conference will be held April 3–5, 2015.

The team collected 30–40 new hail samples.

The temperature is usually 30°–50°F. (Or, 30–50 degrees Fahrenheit, not 30–50°F. See SYMBOLS.)

The temperature outside is –5°F.

The boards are 3–4 inches wide.

Results varied 25–35 percent. (Or, 25%–35%, but not 25–35%. See SYMBOLS.)

Note: Do not use an en dash if using “between” or “from.”

The hail ranges from 3 to 4 inches in diameter.

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The temperature is usually between 30 and 50 degrees F.

An en dash may also be used in place of a hyphen when an open compound adjective (an adjective of two or more unhyphenated words) comes before a noun. (The en dash provides greater clarity than the hyphen, showing that more than one word is modifying the meaning.)

The San Diego–based company suffered tremendous property loss.

Our new spokesman is an Academy Award–winning actor.

This year’s initiative is to conduct solar energy–oriented research.

To create an en dash: INSERTSYMBOLEN DASH

—Em dash Use an em dash for a break in thought or to offset or call attention to text.

This important activity will ensure owners are ready to protect their most important asset—their business—no matter the situation they encounter.

The research is thorough—not to mention well documented—and deserves further funding.

SpacingFor internal and client-facing documents, DO NOT include a space on either side of an em dash (see examples above). (Most styles call for no spaces.)

For media content only (op-eds, press releases, etc.), include 1 space on each side of the em dash to adhere to AP style, if necessary (see examples below).

An em dash can also be used in place of a colon, semicolon or parentheses.

The study aimed to determine three things about the recent storm — average hail size, the extent of hail damage, and consumer preparedness.

The findings — average hail size, the extent of hail damage, and consumer preparedness — were key in determining recommendations for policymakers.

To create an em dash INSERTSYMBOL EM DASH

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DATES Include a comma between the day of the month and the year. Do not include a comma between the month and year. Do not include a comma after the year (unless the date comes at the end of a clause that requires a comma).

The tests will be conducted on April 5, 2015 at the research facility.

We plan to repeat the tests in January 2016.

After the testing in January 2016, we will need to evaluate the effectiveness of the program.

Always use figures—without st, nd, rd or th—to indicate “first,” “second,” “third,” etc.

Correct: Incorrect:June 1 June 1st

January 17, 2008 January 17th, 2008

Give decades as figures with no apostrophe before the “s.”

the 1960s (not the 1960’s)

When abbreviating decades, use an apostrophe to represent the omitted figures. Make sure the apostrophe is a closing quotation mark (’), not an opening mark (‘).

Correct: Incorrect:the ’60s the ‘60s

E.G. and I.E.These terms are often confused. Use e.g. to mean “for example,” and i.e. to mean “in other words.” Always include a comma after e.g. and i.e.

Impacts from these events include overwhelmed stormwater drainage systems, road closures, deterioration of infrastructure (e.g., water and sewer systems), and minor inundation of non-elevated structures.

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To evaluate the effect of having no sealed roof deck (i.e., no secondary barrier) for water entry protection, testing was conducted on a bare roof deck where the sheathing seams were open and fully exposed.

ETC.Always include a period after etc. Add a comma as well, unless it comes at the end of a sentence or parenthetical element.

Generator operating manuals typically provide guidelines on power consumption of appliances such as refrigerators, fans, televisions, window mounted air conditioners, etc., but not large commercial equipment.

Generator operating manuals typically provide guidelines on power consumption of appliances such as refrigerators, fans, televisions, window mounted air conditioners, etc.

Generator operating manuals typically provide guidelines on power consumption of appliances (such as refrigerators, fans, televisions, window mounted air conditioners, etc.).

HOWEVERThere are 3 ways to use “however” in a sentence.

1. As a transitional expression that links 2 independent clauses:

Many legislators found the report compelling. However, this did not lead to a change in existing building codes. ORMany legislators found the report compelling; however, this did not lead to a change in existing building codes.

NOT: Many legislators found the report compelling, however this did not lead to a change in existing building codes.NOT: Many legislators found the report compelling, however, this did not lead to a change in existing building codes.

2. As a transitional expression that’s nonessential and interrupts the flow of a sentence:

The legislators did, however, express an interest in learning more about the study.

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3. To mean “in whatever way”:

However we go about it, getting more support for the study is imperative.

LISTSFor long or complicated lists in sentence form, use semicolons in place of commas between items for clarity. A comma is NOT NEEDED after the “and” that introduces the final list item.

Results will be used to evaluate current standard tests and product ratings; to improve vulnerability curves for commercial roofing systems; and to define parameters for roofs built at IBHS as part of its groundbreaking roof aging studies.

When numbering the items in a list, DO NOT introduce list with a colon unless the sentence is set up purposely to present a list, like the second example. Enclose numbers in parentheses, and use a comma (or semicolon if necessary) after each list item (except the last item, which requires a period). A comma is not necessary after the final “and.”

Results will be used (1) to evaluate current standard tests and product ratings, (2) to improve vulnerability curves for commercial roofing systems, and (3) to define parameters for roofs built at IBHS as part of its groundbreaking roof aging studies.

But The results will be used for the following purposes: (1) to evaluate current standard tests and product ratings, (2) to improve vulnerability curves for commercial roofing systems, and (3) to define parameters for roofs built at IBHS as part of its groundbreaking roof aging studies.

—Vertical ListsWhen writing a vertical list, avoid the use of semicolons plus a conjunction.

Using UL 2218 tests and performance criteria, the test results indicated: Performance of basic 3-tab and architectural shingles was about the same. Both 3-tab and architectural IR products performed better than the basic products. IR architectural shingles performed about the same as IR 3-tab shingles. Polymer-modified IR shingles performed better than traditional IR shingles.

NOTUsing UL 2218 tests and performance criteria, the test results indicated:

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Performance of basic 3-tab and architectural shingles was about the same; Both 3-tab and architectural IR products performed better than the basic products; IR architectural shingles performed about the same as IR 3-tab shingles; and Polymer-modified IR shingles performed better than traditional IR shingles.

MEASUREMENTSSee TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

NOTESWhen including a note within the text, use a colon and capitalize the sentence that comes after.

Note: This report is also available on our website.

NUMBERSGenerally, spell out numbers one through ten. Use figures for numbers 11 and above.

There were seven storms in Oklahoma last year.

There were 14 storms in Oklahoma this year.

But, use the same style to express related numbers. If any of the numbers is above 10, use figures for all for ease of comprehension.

While there were seven storms last year, there were only two this year.

While there were only 7 storms last year, this year saw 14.

However, ALWAYS use figures when the number has technical significance (such as measurements), or to make the number stand out for quick comprehension.

The tornado created an 8-mile-wide path of destruction.

The 3-in. nails cost only $2 more per square foot.

Additional examples for when to use figures: Dates (May 4)Money ($6)Clock time (4 p.m.)

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Proportions and ratios (3-to-1 odds)Sports scores (3 to 11)Votes (a 6–3 decision) Academic grades (95)Percentages (8 percent) See PERCENTTechnical reference to age (a study of 5-year-olds)Periods of time (a 6-month loan)Measurements (parcels over 3 pounds)Page numbers (page 2) Referencing a number as a number (take bus number 4)With abbreviations and symbols (No. 2, 3 in.)

Occasionally, you may use words for numbers above 10 to de-emphasize the number or to make it seem figurative.

Sarah told me a thousand times to repair the roof.

Use words for most ordinals, and for nontechnical references to fractions, age, periods of time and measurements.

Today is the twenty-fifth anniversary of the storm.

One-third of damaged homes were never repaired.

The storm happened more than twenty years ago.

There are now ten times more homes built in the area.

ALWAYS use words at the beginning of the sentence, unless you are referencing a year.

Twenty states were affected by the storm.

1980 saw a significant decrease in tornados.

Treat fractions, when used as measurements, as follows:

The nails are 3½ inches long. (Not 3-1/2. Not 3 ½ with a space.)

Note: Standard fractions such as ½ and ¼ will automatically format. To format non-standard fractions (such as 1/8 and 7/16):

Apply superscript to the first number

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Add a fraction slash: INSERT→SYMBOL→FRACTION SLASH Apply subscript to the second number

o 7⁄16

—AgeUse figures when referring to the age of a person. Spell out the number for inanimate objects.

The girl is 8 years old.

The law is eight years old.

PERCENTUse a figure and spell out the word percent, except for when used in a table or in technical documents.

Last year, there was a 30 percent increase in spending.

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Respectively, hail sizes were 7%, 21% and 16% larger than the previous year.

PREFIXES (pre-, post-, non-, etc.)When a prefix is added to a hyphenated or spaced compound word OR to a word that begins with a capital letter, use a hyphen after the prefix.

Efforts made post-Hurricane Katrina could not mitigate the permanent damage.

Levy conditions pre-Hurricane Katrina were substandard.

Non-load-bearing walls were not included in the study.

PUNCTUATION

—Periods with ParenthesesA period should be placed at the end of a sentence. Therefore, place the period on the outside of the ending parenthesis if the parenthetical element is part of the sentence.

The research results were inconclusive (though additional testing is scheduled for next month).

However, when a parenthetical element contains a complete sentence on its own and is not attached to another sentence, place the period on the inside of the ending parenthesis.

The research results were inconclusive. (Additional testing is scheduled for next month.)

—Parentheses within ParenthesesDo not use parentheses within parentheses. Instead, use brackets.

The report was originally published in January 2012. (However, multiple revisions [November 2012, February 2013 and April 2014] have altered the focus of the report.)

—Punctuation with Quotation MarksOnly 1 punctuation mark can be applied at the end of a sentence. Whether the punctuation goes on the inside or outside of the closing quotation mark will depend on whether it is punctuating the sentence as a whole, or only the quoted material.

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Generally, periods and commas are placed on the inside of the closing quotation mark.

The most recent study, “Know Your Hail,” was well received.

The research is being called “profound and groundbreaking.”

However, if the main sentence is a question, a question mark will be place on the outside of the quotation mark. The same applies for exclamations.

Is the research really being called “profound and groundbreaking”?

The research is being called “profound and groundbreaking”!

However, if a question mark or exclamation point applies to the quoted material, the punctuation goes on the inside of the closing quotation mark and overrules the needs of the sentence as a whole.

Did the researcher really yell, “I quit!”

I am surprised he asked, “Can we be excluded from the Rating the States study?”

SPACING (Between Sentences)Include only 1 space after each sentence—not 2.

SYMBOLSWhen using symbols, include the symbol with each number.

The temperature is usually 30°–50°F.

The new materials reduced damage 25%–35%.

—Inserting SymbolsSelect Insert. Select Symbol. Choose desired symbol.

176°FFORTIFIED Home™–Hurricane⅞, ⅜, ½

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Note: This works in Word and PowerPoint. In Word, you may initially need to select More Symbols to find what you are looking for. However, your most recently used symbols will begin appearing in the box shown below.

TEMPERATUREDO NOT include a space between the degree symbol and F or C. However, DO include a space between the degree symbol and a compass direction.

The temperature is now 50°F (10°C).

The IBHS Research Center in Richburg, South Carolina is situated near 35° N latitude.

To create the degree symbol INSERT→SYMBOL→DEGREE SIGN

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THANK YOUThis is a complete sentence (“I thank you” is the implied meaning). Treat as an independent sentence.

Please refer to the attached document and plan accordingly. Thank you.

THAT“That” is often used unnecessarily. Try re-reading the sentence without the word “that” to see if it still makes sense. If so, it can be deleted. However, do not omit “that” if the sentence can be misread without it.

—“that” not neededThe company believes that the research will help improve building code standards.

The contractor said that he would make repairs to the roof immediately.

—“that” needed to avoid misreadingResearchers have found some building materials, even those approved in building code standards, do not perform well in high-wind tests. Researchers have found that some building materials, even those approved in building code standards, do not perform well in high-wind tests.

TIMEExpress time using a.m. and p.m. (lowercase with periods). It is not necessary to include minutes for the top of the hour (9 p.m. not 9:00 p.m.).

The storm hit at 8:35 a.m. and lasted until 9 p.m.

TITLES

—CapitalizationIn a heading, title or subtitle, capitalize the first and last word, and all other words except articles, short prepositions, and short conjunctions.

Research to Operations: A Hail Detection Network 2015 Report on Hurricane-Prone States

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Articles: a, an, theShort conjunctions: and, as, but, if, or, norShort prepositions: at, by, for, in, of, off, on, out, to, up

Note: Apply these rules to each slide of a PowerPoint presentation as well.

—Titles of Other WorksItalicize or underline titles of complete published works such as books, TV programs, etc. Use “quotation marks” around titles that represent only part of a complete published work, and around other short compositions, such as:

titles of book chapters titles of articles and feature columns in newspapers and magazines titles of essays, short poems and songs titles of lectures, sermons and presentations titles of any complete but unpublished works such as manuscripts, dissertations

and reports titles of individual segments or programs that are part of a larger television or

radio series

Sarah’s favorite book is To Kill a Mockingbird. Her favorite song is “Yesterday” by The Beatles. Her favorite TV Show is The Office, and her favorite episode is “The Job.” Sarah also thoroughly enjoyed the recent report on hailstorms, “Know Your Hail.”

Well-known documents do not require any special treatment.

The Gettysburg Address was recited during the school play.

UNITED STATESUse the abbreviation U.S. in place of United States. If there is a particular need to spell out United States, keep the term consistent throughout the document. Also, avoid using U.S. at the end of a sentence to avoid misreading; reorder sentence if necessary.

URLsHotlink URLs. Remove http://. It is not necessary to introduce URLs with a colon or dash.

For more information about our organization, visit DisasterSafety.org.

Additional information can be found at www.fema.org.

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ZIP CODE ZIP Code

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TECHNICAL GUIDANCE

MEASUREMENTSFor general audiences, spell out units of measure such as inches, feet, centimeters, etc. If necessary to save space, abbreviate units. For technical documents written for contractors, builders, etc., who are familiar with the technical specs, abbreviate using industry standard language.

—AbbreviationsAbbreviations for units of measure do not require a period. Nor do they require an “s” when plural.

ft (foot or feet) lb (pound or pounds) oz (ounce or ounces) exception: in. (inch or inches)

o Use a period (in.) to avoid confusion with the preposition in

3 in. from the edge 3-in. nail 3-in.-wide tape

—“By” (the “x” in Measurements)Put a space on both sides of the “x” when referring to measurements.

8’ x 10’ room8- x 10-ft room

—HyphensHyphenate measurements when they are used as a compound adjective before the noun.

2.5-cm-diameter hail (otherwise, hail that is 2.5 cm in diameter) 8-ft ceiling 4-in.-thick aluminum3½-in.-wide tape 2- x 2-in. lateral brace 24-in. spacing 2- x 4-in. board

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—Technical specsIn technical documents, use industry-accepted language (e.g., use o.c. in place of “on center.”).

If spacing exceeds 12 in. o.c. in the field, add an additional 8d ring shank nail in between existing fasteners in the field only.

—# (Pound)If using # in place of “pound,” use symbol before corresponding number, not after.

#30 felt NOT 30# felt

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TERMSRefer to the following list of terms for guidance on spelling, spacing, hyphenation, one word versus two words, etc.

airbox3D (not 3-D)3-tab shinglesauthority having jurisdiction (AHJ)backup (not back-up), as in sewer backup or backup powerbylawco-brandcommonwealth avoid using “commonwealth.” If necessary to use, capitalize ONLY when used as part of an official name. (The Commonwealth of Virginia is acceptable; Virginia is preferred.)cost-effective dropdown menudryline dual-polarization & dual-polarimetric are interchangeable. Dual-polarimetric preferred. Can abbreviate dual-pol after first mention, if dual-pol is placed in parentheses after first mention.fiber-cement panel (NOT Hardie-board, which is a brand name) floodplainfoam-backed vinylfull-scale test, full-scale homeshailfallhail-making machinehailpadhailstonehailstormhigh-wind test, high-wind testing homebuilder homeowner’s insurance HUD-Code homeimpact rated, impact resistant (BUT impact-rated product, impact-resistant shingles)InternetIRC Section R611.2 (NOT IRC Reference section R611.2 | NOT IRC Ref. R611.2)jet streamlog in (when used as a verb; Please log in to the site.)login (when used as a noun; My login name is buildstrong2015.)man-madenonprofit

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piezoelectric disks policymakerpolymer-modified shingleradar-estimated hail sizes Realtor is a trademarked term. Do not use the word “Realtor” unless specifically referencing member(s) of the National Association of Realtors. Instead, use the term real estate professional. real-world test, real-world resultsre-create, re-creation (as not to be confused with recreate, recreation)re-nailre-roofreflectivity-based hail productsring shank nailroof-mounted equipment (not rooftop equipment)saddle-type hurricane clip self-adhering membrane shear wallshutdownslab-on-gradesnowfallsnowstormstartupstormwatersubfreezingtopsoiltornadoes (not tornados)weatherproofWi-Fiwildfirewind-blown emberswind-driven rainwind-loading design windbornewindstorm

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