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Building a Hurricane-Resistant Home

Bob talks with Leslie Chapman-Henderson from the Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) about the technologies involved in securing a roof. Chapman-Henderson explains the importance of keeping a roof secure in high-wind situations. Uplift force is explained as wind is that pulls on a roof, with a force that can tear the roof right off the home, causing catastrophic building failure. Keeping a roof secure involves affixing the roof decking, the plywood, so no new holes are created during a storm that would allow more wind to come in. FLASH standards specify plywood of a certain thickness, 5/8" minimum thickness with 6" inch nailing pattern, securely nailing into the trusses. Pneumatic nail guns, employed in a hurry to save costs, often miss the underlying truss. Simpson StrongTie straps are used to secure the truss to the structure. Tie-downs secure the roof vertically and horizontally. Bob and Chapman-Henderson review the Punta Gorda storm-ready project completed last season. The house in Punta Gorda was a monlithic concrete structure, poured in one solid pour with steel reinforcing bars embedded throughout. Steel fastenerstied directly to the exposed rebar to secure the roof. The roof decking and tie-down followed FLASH's Blueprint for Safety, just as the current roof does. Chapman-Henderson presents Bob with an award from the Governor's Hurricane Conference for his work to increase awareness of the need for storm-resistant homes. According to Chapman-Henderson reviews the governor's program that makes $250 million in Florida funds and $100 million from HUD to help people in Florida retrofit their homes to bring them up to code and make them storm resistant. The My Safe Florida Home is available to low- and modest-income residents. Eligible viewers are encouraged to call the 800 number or go to mysafefloridahome.com to begin the process. More information