| Malsua |
04-27-2023 06:33 AM |
Quote:
Originally Posted by MandoMan
(Post 2212072)
1. Steel straps at each roof truss end, properly nailed, that attach trusses to top plates and studs much more securely than a couple nails. They really do help prevent roofs from being pulled off by a hurricane. They are easy to install during construction, though it costs at least $200 in materials and several hours of hard labor. Much harder to install them when insulation is in place, and may not be done adequately.
2. Correctly installed plywood or USB sheathing on top of the roof trusses and under shingles. This means that most of the sheathing nails installed with pneumatic nailers actually penetrated the trusses and that the number of nails per 4x8’ sheet is according to code. Back when Hurricane Andrew hit the Miami area, doing colossal damage, studies showed that much of the damage was due to roofs being pulled off because the trusses were just toenailed to the top plates and because many sheets of plywood roofing were secured with 4-8 nails that actually penetrated the trusses (instead of the now required every 12” in the middle of the sheet and every 6” along the edges. Properly secured roofs tended to survive.
3. Higher quality shingles (sometimes called architectural shingles) instead of cheap ones, which are easily blown off in high winds. Good ones are thicker and stick to each other better. They also cost quite a bit more, though installation cost is the same, more or less.
A wind mitigation inspection costs about $100, takes only a few minutes, and includes photos. If your house passes, it can save you $500 a year on your insurance. Money well spent. Ideally, don’t buy a house that doesn’t pass. Fixing it after the fact is expensive.
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I perform wind mitigation inspections. I am licensed, insured and certified to do so and run an inspection business here in TV.
You've got it mostly correct, there are a few more things.
The type of connection: toe-nails, clips, single straps, double straps
The type of nails for the deck to truss connection. 6d or 8d. There is also a new standard for a thicker ring shank nail, but it's not entirely clear if insurance companies are factoring that in or not.
There is also impact protection. Most of the newer homes that I perform win mits on have additional hurricane bracing on the garage doors. I would say this started in TV around 1998 or so. The oldest homes don't have it. There should be a pressure rating sticker or ASTM rating somewhere on the door.
You can also have impact rated glass and entry doors. I have yet to find any of that here in TV, but I have seen it near the coasts although I have not done any Wind Mits out that way on either side of FL. Further, you can have hurricane rated shutters of various types, again, I've not found that here in TV.
Most homes built after 2004(2002 in some jurisdictions) already have a wind mitigation discount built into the insurance as that is when the Florida Building standards changed. That said, not every insurance provider will provide the discount without the inspection, so be sure to ask your agent. If it is not included, get a wind mit done, it's worth it.
It takes a little more than a few minutes but usually under an hour and it requires some time in the attic but well worth it for the discount. |
