Building To Improve Hurricane Resistance

BY THE U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT

After the spate of hurricanes in Florida and the Southeast last year, some homeowners may be concerned about how their homes will hold up under severe weather.

Homes can be built to withstand powerful storms. Choosing the right building materials and paying attention to construction details are keys to building a storm-resistant home.

While researchers still are working on design improvements and models that accurately predict how light-frame homes behave during extreme wind events, here are a few key recommendations from the PATH report, Durability by Design:

Reduce dangerous uplift by using hurricane straps and clips. (During Hurricane Andrew, hurricane ties had a 92% success rate.)

Wall bracing: Proper diaphragm and shear wall construction using a rated bracing material such as oriented stand board or plywood is critical.

Attention to small details-lapping wall top plates at intersections with interior walls and attaching sheathing to a common stud in corner construction-can make all the difference, according to full-scale shear wall testing done by the NAHB Research Center.

Proper nailing schedule: Size, type and placement are factors. Inadequate nailing in older building codes were blamed for the widespread roof sheathing damage wrought by Hurricane Andrew in 1993.

Preliminary findings of an NAHB Research Center study suggest that nail edge distance tolerance is quite tight (acceptable nail edge distance should be ¼ to ¾ inch) and that nail overdrive can reduce uplift strength of the connection significantly. Thicker sheathing can offset sensitivity to overdriving.

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