[Cateca]

We will be buying soon a 3/2 in TV and being from Puerto Rico and unfamiliar with frame and siding constructin, we lean towards the more hurricane-prrof CBS construction.
That said, we have an open mind towards wood frame an siding homes.
Would anyone care to comment on the pros and cons of the latter?
Thanks

[golf2140]

We lived through all the hurricanes since 2000 in a frame home. They are very safe. We didn't have one issue.

[Taj44]

Originally Posted by Cateca

We will be buying soon a 3/2 in TV and being from Puerto Rico and unfamiliar with frame and siding constructin, we lean towards the more hurricane-prrof CBS construction.
That said, we have an open mind towards wood frame an siding homes.
Would anyone care to comment on the pros and cons of the latter?
Thanks

We lived in a neighborhood that was devastated by the tornado a couple years ago. My observationis that the CBS homes fared much better. The vinyl sided homes had tremendous damage, and many had to be completely rebuilt. The vinyl siding itself peeled off like wallpaper from the force of the winds. I'm glad golf2140 was lucky and had minimal damage, but I expect that was the exception not the norm. We purchased our CBS home with hurricanes in mind, and after the tornado, I was really glad we had made that decision.

[Bryan]

I live in a frame, vinyl sided house and have been very satisfied. I do understand that the CBS homes may be a little cooler inside and do offer better hurricane/tornado protection. They are also a little more expensive and will require painting every few years. On the other hand, vinyl sides homes had some major problems with poor initial installation at one time - I think the contractors have now got that corrected.

Bottom line, it's your home - do what makes you comfortable. I don't think vinyl/CBS should be a make/break issue if other factors, more important to you, are in the equation.

[Army Guy]

We bought a concrete 2/2 CYV with cost totally in mind. Presently our home in Alabama is siding, and although siding is nice also, it does not have the benifits of concrete. Yes, concrete has to be painted, every 5 years on the average, we have to wash our siding annual to keep it clean and mildew. Siding can and does get holes in and have to be replaced, which can run into money since after several years it it harder to get just one or two strips of siding, you have to buy the whole case, and then store the unused. But the concrete is quieter, saves money by keeping inside temp more stable so your heat pump does not run as much, and you save on your home owner insurance.
These are the reasons we decided for our final home to be concrete.
Where are you from in PR? I go down regular as I have two units at Fort Buchanan, and at Camp Santiago near Ponce.

Army Guy

[Bob S]

As a structural engineer I can tell you that the concrete block will hold up better than wood frame construction in a hurricane or tornado. However, both types have similarly framed wood roofs that are the most vulnerable parts of the home. As Army Guy stated, you will get better energy savings and an insurance break with the concrete block. You will also get an additional insurance break and better performace in high winds if you purchase a home with a hipped roof rather than a standard gable.

A few of the newer models are now being built with poured concrete walls instead of the concrete block. In my opinion they will be even stronger than the concrete block. Check with your sales agent on availability. I believe that the Alahambra model designer home and some of the courtyard villas are constructed with poured concrete walls.

[EdV]

I recently finished reading the book “Ten Seconds Inside a Tornado” by TV resident Ed Frederick, whose vinyl sided home was destroyed by the 2007 Tornado (160mph rotational speed). From the many accounts told in this book, although the walls of block homes withstood the force of the winds, their roofs were torn off just like the frame homes. And this resulted in a lot of flood damage from the penetrating rains.

But more importantly, the majority of the hundreds of injuries were from the shrapnel like debris being hurled through the windows and patio sliders of the homes that were in the direct path of the tornado. And in this regard, block vs. frame didn’t matter.