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Last Updated: Apr 27th, 2006 - 10:50:48 |
What is hurricane safe?
The simplest definition would be a structure that can withstand sustained winds, up to a stated level, and not suffer significant damage or allow serious personal injury to the occupants. We would never suggest staying in a home when a hurricane is approaching, but we realize there are situations where that in fact can happen. Personal safety is always top priority, but you also expect to resume your normal life as soon as possible.
How is it accomplished?
Start at the bottom and work your way up. The slab is the anchor for the walls, so we imbed rebar all around the slab’s edges, extending 3 feet above the slab. After the slab cures, we attach more rebar to those projecting from the slab, and extend it to the top height of the wall. This process firmly attaches the walls to the slab, and insures the walls don’t move when the storm winds are pounding away.
The steel structure is integral to the wall’s strength, so we attach 2 more runs of rebar all around the top of the wall section. To make it even stronger, we cover all the rebar with a steel curtain of 6” x 6” mesh. The end result is 3 times the amount of steel found in a concrete block home.
After this steel structure is in place and firmly tied together, we place the concrete forms on either side of it. Once the forms are in place and firmly braced, we pour 3000 psi concrete in the cavity, surrounding the steel and forming a monolithic structure that is the core of our hurricane safe walls. For an added touch of safety, we also add fiberglass to the concrete that provides further strength to the 3000 psi concrete. After the walls are poured, we place the steel hurricane truss straps into the concrete, firmly anchoring them to the walls.
The roof trusses are the structural members that support the plywood decking, underlayment, and shingles. We design the trusses to inside wind loads, which assumes a possible rupture in the house through a window or door failure. This means our trusses are built over Florida building code and far less likely to fail. The trusses are attached to the steel hurricane straps that are 50% larger than required by Florida building code. We use 5/8” CDX plywood for decking that is 25% thicker than what code requires, and what other builders specify.
The underlayment is the black felt-like material that is placed on top of the decking and provides the surface to lay the shingles on. Its purpose is to keep moisture from the wooden roof trusses and keep the attic area dry. Most builders specify 15 or 20 pound underlayment, but we use 30 pound material for both moisture stopping and durability.
While most builders provide a 15 or 20 year shingle, we install 30 year architectural style shingles. Not only do they look beautiful, they have the added benefit of being far more resistant to being blown off in high winds. We know you can’t have a single weak link in a roofing system, so we always build with an eye for safety.
What other features should a hurricane safe home have?
You need to be concerned not only with structural failure, but also penetration of walls by airborne debris. Static wind test have been performed where a 2x4 is shot from a cannon at the wall. Ordinary wooden walls present little resistance to this test and are easily penetrated. Even concrete blocks aren’t impervious to penetration since they have voids in the structure. When the same 2x4 was shot at a concrete wall, it simply disintegrated.
Windows and doors are crucial to a hurricane safe home. Many roof losses are caused by the failure of a door or window unit that allows the sudden air surge to lift the roof off from the walls. Our doors and windows are rated to withstand 140 mph winds, and as an added measure we provide storm shutters for each window that are easily installed when warnings are issued.
A hurricane safe home just doesn’t happen. Our homes are based on over 22 years of experience and research into the strongest and safest materials, coupled with sound design practices. We think you’ll appreciate these efforts every time a storm is near your home.
© Copyright 2006 by FavoriteProperty.com
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