Build to Weather the Storm

The upcoming hurricane season (officially starting June 1) means an increased awareness of weather-resistant building tactics are important—especially in coastal regions where storms wreak the deadliest havoc.

Consider the $81.2 billion in damages caused by 2005’s Hurricane Katrina, which also displaced more than 1 million people in that areas most affected by the storm.

And while Katrina’s damages were staggering, David Spetrino, president of Plantation Building Corp. in Wilmington, N.C., says that when it comes to construction, 1992’s Hurricane Andrew in Florida made one of the biggest impacts on home building practices.

“That really set a benchmark for implementing new building codes, especially in coastal areas and high wind regions,” says Spetrino, who started his business in 1997.

Connect the dots
As a result of Hurricane Andrew, roof construction became a focal point of new building standards. To prevent storm damage, builders began assessing ways to improve durability in rough weather. One of the most basic tactics involves connecting the roof to the foundation.

“We create a network of wood and metal connections that extend from the footer of the home up to the rafters,” Spetrino explains. “This is done by fastening a series of structural components with a nailing pattern that literally connects the dots from the footer of the home to the roof.”

He recommends using a hurricane tie, also called a Simpson tie, to connect the rafter to the top of the wall. Typically, this involves driving 10 nails into the tie; five into the rafter and five into the top plate of the wall. The bottom portion of the wall will connect directly to the foundations’ footer with threaded rods resulting in total connectivity and optimal protection from both wind and water damage.

“This is the best practice to ensure all of the elements are connected,” Spetrino says.

Seal the envelope
Almost equally as important as anchoring the roof is keeping out moisture caused by wind-driven rains, says Bernie Smith, CEO of Masterworks, a home builder based in Atlanta.

“When you get the house frame up, you want to make sure you seal the envelope,” he advises. Barrier technology, such as synthetic house wrap, will create a waterproof membrane that will deflect rain and force the flow to the ground instead of seeping through the walls of a home.

“In a coastal area, many of the homes don’t have basements, however as with all landscape considerations, be sure your yard slopes away from your foundation,” he says.

Wrapping and framing
Windows and their surrounding frames also respond well to synthetic house wraps, Spetrino says. “It’s durable and keeps moisture out,” he notes.

For optimal protection, he recommends fully wrapping a house frame and then taping an extra layer around the designated window areas. Use all materials in addition to standard caulk and glue.

“One thing we stopped doing is installing twin windows,” Spetrino explains. If a client wants a twin or triple window, Spetrino buys single windows and installs them as three separate frames, each installed on all four sides. “This translates into a perfectly sealed window field,” he says.

Latch and glass
Unlike windows, properly sealing doors is a bit trickier, Spetrino says.

“Doors are one of the toughest places to mitigate water intrusion, especially from wind-driven rain,” he says. On houses more susceptible to storm damage, he always recommends installing a three-point or five-point locking system, which seals the perimeter of a door tightly into the jam.

“This way, there is a lesser chance that the winds will rattle it and create openings where water will enter,” he says.

Additionally, consider installing doors at a higher plane than the patio or porch. “Give yourself the width of a two-by-four when stepping down to your patio or deck,” Spetrino says. “This will keep ground water from blowing against the door and getting in at the threshold.”

Smith says for coastal homes that have sliding glass doors, remember to install hurricane impact-rated glass for optimal weather-proofing. “And make sure the material lined on the edges of your windows is corrosive resistant,” he says. Instead of using metal, pick a man-made, PVC-based material. “It’s a little more expensive than wood, but it saves you money in the long-run.”

Add it up
And speaking of costs, Spetrino and Smith agree that weather-proofing a home will significantly drive up the overall construction price of a job. For example, using asphalt roof shingles versus storm-resistant synthetic ones boosts costs from $75 to $200 per square foot to $300 to $1,000 per square foot, respectively. Despite the additional costs upfront, the homeowner will save money in long run when they consider the costs of repairs due to a storm.

But for the ultimate in severe weather protection, Spetrino recommends implementing a building method called insulated concrete form (ICF) construction. Its durable wall construction using hollowed out Styrofoam ™ forms, are similar to very large, interconnected blocks. The modular blocks are then stacked onto one another and filled with concrete.

“For a typical, 3,000-square-foot house, it’s probably going to run between $20,000 to $24,000 more than a typical wood frame,” he explains. “But, in addition to sound proofing a home and providing energy savings, as well as reduced home insurance premiums, it’s a solid, rigid construction that doesn’t flex or shift with the wind—and that’s ideal, especially during hurricane season.”