Structural Considerations For Hurricane Preparedness

There are two components to damage caused by a hurricane

. One is the positive and negative forces the wind places on the structure. The second component is damage done by flying debris. To give your house the best chance of survival, both aspects must be addressed. This is probably the most important home remodeling project you should consider.

If you have fiberglass/asphalt shingles covering your roof, the older they are, the more brittle and prone to leakage they are. Although you may have 30 or 40 year shingles on your roof, the tar paper underneath them is usually dried out after 20 years, especially if you live in the Deep South. Also, the number and type of fasteners connecting the shingles to the plywood roof sheathing has changed over the years. Staples are typically banned and roofing nails need to have a ringed shank (the part below the head has grooves in it to make it harder to pull out of the plywood). Even the fastening of the underlayment material (usually tar paper) has been upgraded.

If your shingle roofing is 20 years old or older, it ought to be replaced.

If you have cement tile covering your roof and it's 20+ years old, the nails or screws holding the field tile down may have corroded and not be of much use for uplift. The ridge and rake tiles are also very vulnerable to uplift because they are typically just glued or mortared to the field tiles beneath them. The latest attachment method uses a foam adhesive to "glue" the field tile to the underlayment and to a hip/ridge board which is mechanically fastened to the roof deck. With this method, the colored mortar is used for cosmetic purposes only.

Hip roofs are stronger than ones that have gabled ends. If your house has gable ends, they should be stiffened and "X" braced every 8'-0" back two (2) trusses (or joists) minimum with 2x4s. If the roof trusses or joists are not connected to the supporting wall beneath them with hurricane straps, they should be added.

If the windows, doors, skylights, siding, or even hurricane shutters on your house are 15 years old, or older, they probably were not designed to withstand the wind forces they will be subjected to in a hurricane. Many of the fastener type and frequency has changed as have the thickness of materials used. If openings are not currently protected by shutters, they ought to be. If they are in disrepair, they should be replaced with hurricane approved units. In Florida, for instance, window, doors, and skylights must be able to withstand small and/or large missile impact, either by themselves or with hurricane shutters protecting them. Many types of commercially available hurricane shutters exist, the most common of which are removable panels (steel, aluminum and plastic), folding colonial, Bahama, accordion, roll up, and fabric. Each one is available at a different price point and has its own inherent pros and cons.

While investing in protecting your house from a hurricane can get expensive, suffering through a loss or paying significantly higher homeowner's insurance premiums can be more expensive and emotionally devastating. Consult with a licensed and insured construction professional before undertaking any above described work.

by: Todd Perry

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