This has led to widespread use of tie-down straps, J-bolts, cable ties, expansion bolts, hurricane clips and plates. The revised codes, for example, require buildings in coastal areas to have a continuous load path that directs wind loads on the roof and walls down to the foundation. Many of these are regarding building codes and/or are being driven by the desire to obtain lower insurance rates and are now standard practice. There have been huge changes since Hurricane Andrew, agrees Hudson, regarding the strengthening of construction. These three best practices for building in a hurricane-prone area will help reduce damage to buildings during storms: 1) tying down the building to its foundation, 2) increase a building’s impact resistance and 3) keeping a building dry by reducing moisture penetration. Sound hurricane-resistant building basically addresses three problem areas: lift up from high winds, penetration from wind-blown debris and damage from rain and flood waters. Here are Best Practices for Building in Hurricane-prone Zones Recently, Hudson notes, FEMA has expanded these flood zone areas by raising the target elevations, causing builders to build at greater heights and adding more locations that require special construction techniques following the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) regulations. communities have already been mapped according to their flood risk by FEMA (the Federal Emergency Management Agency). Codes also require that homes in high-velocity wave action zones be supported on piles, columns or shear walls. Subsequent code renditions have addressed load paths in buildings in coastal areas. In Florida, roof straps that connect a home’s roof to the foundation became mandatory in areas where 120 mph winds can be expected. In addition, all new homes in areas where wind speeds equal or exceed 110 mph now must meet storm-resistant standards. The 2000 International Residential Building Code (IRC), for example, established a requirement for the use of impact-resistant doors and windows in hurricane-prone areas. Certainly, building codes became dramatically more stringent following such past major hurricanes as Andrew and Katrina. Ed Hudson, director of Marketing Research at the Home Innovation Research Labs Eventually, he says, it should also impact building codes. Overall, it will put pressure on and constrain building material supply for a while, which could up the price of building materials, which could cause an uptick in the price of housing.”Ĭodes will be modified and there will likely be a much higher consciousness now for building flood-resistant structures. This could cause delays if certain materials must go on allocation. However, the short-term view is clearer: New home buyers in the future will be more aware of the risks of damage from storms and floods - and builders, building code officials and product manufacturers will continue to work together to create solutions that result in safer homes.Įd Hudson, director of Marketing Research at the Home Innovation Research Labs in Upper Marlboro, Md., summarizes his predictions: “There is going to be a huge remediation business at first. The long-term impact of these massive storms will have on home building in hurricane-prone areas and in the refinement of building codes has yet to be determined. The recovery in Houston and Florida from Hurricanes Harvey and Irma has just begun.
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