 |
|
A home built to meet Florida's new codes survived Hurricane Ivan with almost no damage; an older house next door was leveled.
|
By Chuck Ross
Hurricane Andrew may have stormed through Florida more than a dozen years ago, but its impact on home building in hurricane-prone areas has never been stronger, especially after the devastation that Hurricane Katrina left along the Gulf Coast in Mississippi, Louisiana and Alabama. Damage to homes and other structures from Andrew forced major building-code changes in Florida.
And because that state's homebuilding market is so important to building-product manufacturers, those changes mean storm-resistant products are now more available to builders nationally, as well. In addition, other states in hurricane danger zones that had been discussing upgrading their own building codes suddenly found a new sense of urgency when Katrina turned miles and miles of prime Mississippi real estate into what looked like a beachfront war zone, and houses into splintered lumber.
Hurricanes produce long-duration, high-speed winds, which can enter a home through broken windows, doors or garage openings and create enough pressure to lift off roofs and blow down walls. As a result, maintaining the integrity of the entire building envelope is key to boosting a home's chances of surviving a hurricane intact. The new Florida codes address that issue in general, as well as various components in particular.
Nor are concerns about preventing storm damage confined to Florida. For example, high-impact laminated-glass window and door assemblies–now required in hurricane-prone areas of Florida–are gaining particular attention in other at-risk areas.
"There's interest in that all the way from Texas to Long Island," says John McFee, director of certification programs for the Window & Door Manufacturers Association.
Performance is proof
Russ Snyder, executive vice president of the Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association, notes that last season's four-hurricane march through Florida proved the effectiveness of the state's recently reinforced codes. He says homes built to the newer standards, which also include new roofing and framing provisions, performed much better in the heavy weather. As a result, he adds, other hurricane-prone states are now considering similar code upgrades.
New, stronger products designed to meet the codes and protect vulnerable building-envelope elements include:
- Windows and glass doors. Builders have several options for improving the integrity of glass window and door openings. Laminated glass-based products, which permanently sandwich a layer of plastic sheeting between two layers of glass, are like a car's windshield: designed to shatter but not break when hit by flying debris. Laminated-glass windows and doors are sold as entire assemblies, notes Brad Oberg, chief technical officer with BuildIQ, so the framing is as storm-resistant as the glass.
Storm shutters are another option for meeting the new code's window-protection requirement. Current models are designed to absorb impact and protect the glass building elements behind them. A lower-cost solution can be to incorporate hardware around vulnerable openings for slide-into-place sheeting. Oberg says some builders are now taking this approach, supplying their buyers with cut-to-fit sheet-metal panels that can be installed when needed.
Each of these options has its own set of advantages and disadvantages, Oberg says. Laminated glass-based windows and doors will stay in one piece, even when shattered, but they will need to be replaced if broken. Shutters and roll-down protective doors may pose aesthetic concerns, but louvered models may provide more solar heat control. Another plus: They can provide added security for homeowners who are away for extended periods.
- Roofing shingles. Florida's new code refers builders to one of three Underwriters Laboratories standards for roof shingles, depending on what hazard level residents can expect. Materials are available that can meet the 90-mph, 120-mph and 150-mph requirements demanded in various areas. ARMA's Snyder notes that following manufacturers' installation directions is essential to ensure a product's performance lives up to its rating. Adhesive procedures, nail selection and nailing pattern–for both plywood and shingles–are all crucial to maintaining roof integrity.
- Garage doors. Garage doors pose one of the greatest threats to wind intrusion, BuildIQ's Oberg says. Their broad surfaces give high winds an easy battering target. Unreinforced doors can crumple like tin foil, giving wind easy access to the rest of an attached house. Code-compliant doors now must incorporate additional bracing and heavier-gauge tracks, among other improvements. Retrofitting to strengthen existing doors is possible, but the Federal Emergency Management Agency notes in its online publication "Protecting Your Property from Wind," (www.fema.gov) that new reinforcement can add weight to the door and throw off the counterbalance system enabling door operation.
June 20, 2005
Chuck Ross is a Chicago-based freelance writer, editor and web consultant.
| 
)
