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If your home’s HVAC system is running more often than usual but temperatures are still uncomfortable in your home, you may want to measure your attic insulation
Leaky windows can strain your HVAC system and increase energy costs, but simple DIY fixes can improve efficiency affordably without professional help.
Energy-saving upgrades, from simple DIY projects to contractor-led renovations, can reduce monthly utility bills.
Learn how energy-efficient window materials and glass options can enhance natural light while reducing strain on your HVAC system and energy costs.
FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program created to strengthen homes against specific types of severe weather.
The FORTIFIED Home program provides a set of building standards specifically crafted to protect homes against natural disasters and reduce damage.
FORTIFIED is broken down into three levels, each building upon the other to provide added protection. Learn more about these levels of certification.
Every FORTIFIED Home project must have a certified FORTIFIED Evaluator involved to collect the needed data and submit the project to the IBHS.
A FORTIFIED Roof is built to withstand strong winds, wind-driven rain and hail.
FORTIFIED Silver protects vulnerable parts of the home and enhances the building’s envelope against high winds. Learn more about this designation.
A continuous load path is the primary feature of the FORTIFIED Gold designation. This ties the whole house together to strengthen it against high winds.
FORTIFIED Gold focuses on strengthening the home by creating a continuous load path to reduce potential building failures caused by strong winds.
During high-wind events, like hurricanes, openings such as doors and windows must protect the home from water intrusion and wind pressure.
When you do not have enough money to cover your family’s basic living expenses and pay all your creditors, you face some difficult financial decisions.
Hiring a qualified contractor for mold remediation is not required but generally is safer and more effective than a "do-it-yourself" approach because of the use of specialized equipment. In either case, you should carefully follow safety precautions to reduce exposure to mold. This publication provides guidance on safe and effective mold remediation practices and how to select a qualified remediation professional.
In tough times it is especially important to find ways to substitute time, skills and effort for spending.
Grocery shopping can be a real challenge, especially if you are on a limited budget. However, food is a flexible budget expense that can be reduced.
Understanding what you are feeling can help you to begin to cope. Grief is a human response and is inescapable. Understanding the stages of grief, giving in to them and going through them, are keys to getting past the disaster and moving forward.
Saving money at the grocery store could be a challenge, but it could also be fun! It feels good to save money and to stretch those grocery dollars.
We are all feeling the crunch on our monthly budget these days. Being thrifty is important when we need to watch our food dollars.
Good nutrition and routine physical activity help keep you healthy and minimize the impact of stress to your body.
Do you ever feel that you are stuck in a rut? Want to get off the all-work treadmill? You could be stressed!
Stress is the body’s reaction to a physical or emotional situation that causes imbalance in a person’s life.
One way to get the nutrition you and your family need without giving up taste, variety and time is to make beans a regular part of your meals.
The factsheet give tips on reducing risk of infection when handling takeout or delivered foods.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the coronavirus that causes COVID-19 may remain viable for several hours.
List of mobile applications to help identify flora and fauna in backyards, neighborhoods, urban greens paces and other natural areas.
If you’ve pledged to focus on your health in the new year, exercising your mind and body in the great outdoors is a great way to meet your goal!
The black soldier fly can feed on kitchen scraps and industrial waste, and it can also be a source of protein for animals to eat.
Squash and pumpkins are among the most popular and productive warm- season vegetables in Louisiana.
Farm animals can carry germs that make people sick, but some simple precautions can keep our kids healthy.
A flood-damaged home needs special care to remove mold safely and effectively.This fact sheet provides do-it-yourself mold cleanup steps.Pub 2949-B
Information regarding protection from mosquito bites.
Lead poisoning is very common. Millions of all ages are affected every year. What is lead and how is it used? Where is lead found? How can my child get lead poisoning? Why is lead poisoning so dangerous? Should my child be tested for lead? Find these answers and more in this free publication. (PDF format only)
When the family faces reduced income, take immediate action to stop all excess spending.
Losing a job can be emotional, stressful and financially devastating. It does not matter if you are male or female, married or single, young or old, experiencing job loss is very difficult for individuals and families. Use these financial survival tips for tough times.
A budget, or spending plan, is a tool to help families gain an understanding of their money during both good times and challenging times.
Children learn their responses to loss and how they will cope from their families. Following a disaster, children's views view of the world as a safe and predictable place is temporarily lost. They may be afraid another crisis is likely to occur and that they or their family will be injured or killed. It helps to remind children they are safe.
When you can’t find your way out of a crisis, turning to family and reconnecting to them can sometimes be the best strategy for managing anxiety.
One of the coping strategies families identify as helpful for returning back to “normalcy” after a crisis or disaster is a return to family traditions. Family traditions and rituals have been shown to help strengthen families – both the individual members and the family as a whole – in good times and in bad.
Did you know the air inside buildings is nearly always more polluted than outside air? Learn the types of indoor air pollution and what you can do. (PDF Format Only)
Rising energy prices, floods and hurricanes happen, but they don’t have to bust your budget.
This paper gives an introductory overview of the Systems Approach to Healthy Community that is being used by the LSU AgCenter in its Northwest Louisiana Region. It briefly explores some theoretical and conceptual ideas underlying the basic approach, and it presents a strategy and a logic model that illustrate several aspects of how this approach relates to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Community Nutrition Education Logic Model. (PDF Format Only)
Teaching children about money helps them to understand the financial changes the family is going through. It also teaches them the benefits of good money habits. Follow these guidelines on how to approach the topic of money with children. (PDF Format Only)
For both parents and children, visitation is critical to maintaining a sense of connectedness both during and after a divorce. Tips for smooth visitations, constructive parenting goals and a list of visitation do's and don'ts. (PDF Format Only)
People who work or play outdoors are often attacked by numerous species of insects, ticks and mites. If you choose or are required to be outside when insects are active, use a repellent. This publication explains how repellents are chemical substances that protect people from insect attack by making the body unattractive or offensive to insects. A repellent does not have to kill insects to be effective, although it may. (PDF Format Only)
Parents can divorce each other, but the parent-child relationship and parenting responsibilities are forever. Follow these tips to make co-parenting a success. (PDF Format Only)
Although children are certainly important, they can’t substitute for relationships with other adults. Everyone, including single parents, needs and benefits from having a circle of close friends. Ten important tips for parents included. (PDF Format Only)
Active listening means paying careful attention to what others are saying. Follow these steps to improve active listening skills. (PDF Format Only)
Among the first questions parents must answer in a separation or divorce are how, when and what to tell their children. Information on what children need to know and how parents can help children during a divorce is included.
Before entering into a new relationship, deal with your feelings of loss and loneliness first. Consider the emotional needs of your children and make sure they are met. Follow these suggestions to make dating a success.
Single parent families have hectic lives. Most single parents feel they have too little time and too much to do. The first step to making the most of your time, however, is thinking about your goals. Follow these tips to help you determine and reach your goals.
Sometimes it’s hard to know how to discipline children. All parents wonder if they’re too strict or not strict enough. Follow these suggestions to discipline your chldren effectively. (PDF Format Only)
When a marriage or a long-term relationship ends, many different feelings surface. While each person is unique, many people say they go through four stages. (PDF Format Only)
When parents divorce, they experience money changes that affect them emotionally, socially and financially. Use these tips to make the best of your financial situation and avoid costly errors as you move forward after divorce. (PDF Format Only)
How do I decide if I want shared parenting? What is Included in a shared parenting arrangement? Find these answers and more. (PDF Format Only)
Facts and information on the West Nile virus and how it's affecting Louisiana. (PDF format only)
A monthly newsletter for parents of newborns. (PDF Format Only)
The Character Critters storybook is ideal for parents or grandparents to read to their children or grandchildren. The storybook includes six separate stories that talk about being fair, trustworthy, responsible, respectful, caring and a good citizen. Cost: $7 plus tax and shipping. You can order this book through our online store by using the Order Publication link below. Visa, MasterCard and American Express credit cards accepted.
5 Things Parents Can Do to Ensure Quality Care for Their Child (PDF Format Ony)
Marriage is a financial partnership. Divorce means more than separating a family physically. It also means separating a family financially. Suggestions for preparing for financial separation, dividing property, dealing with debt and dividing assets and property are included. (PDF Format Only)
We all have days when we feel anxious or “stressed out.” On days like that, it’s good for you to take some time out for yourself. Use these suggestions to de-stress. (PDF Format Only)
