Protect Your Home From Wind
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Protect Your Home From Wind
Extreme winds can cause several kinds of damage to a building, threatening you and your family's safety. During high winds, wind speeds fluctuate and may change directions, placing pressure on all parts of the building structure. These wind pressures may cause building components to fail. When wind speeds are high, pieces of debris can also become "airborne missiles" that may penetrate the structure and possibly injure your family. By maintaining a "sealed envelope", keeping the outside wind from getting into your home, you may be able to minimize damage to your home and reduce the potential for injury. Structural Consider these important items to reduce the chance of your home being lifted off its foundation: Uplift resistance
Sheathing should be properly sized and nailed to comply with applicable building codes. Install underlayment material, such as asphalt-saturated felt. Provide separate, secondary water infiltration protection by sealing roof deck joints with a self-adhering modified roofing underlayment (thin rubber/asphalt sheets with peel and stick undersides located beneath the roof covering). Roofing products with high wind resistance are available. Discuss with your contractor what measures will be taken to ensure the installation of your roof will be completed with high winds in mind. Insist they use hot-dipped, galvanized nails instead of staples to attach asphalt shingles. Windows Windows and glass doors should be fitted with impact-resistant laminated windows or covered with impact-resistant shutters to help reduce the potential for damage or injury caused by flying debris and pressure changes during high winds. Entry Doors Solid wood or hollow metal doors are more likely to resist wind pressure and flying debris. You can also increase the resistance of entry doors by:
Garage doors are especially vulnerable to damage during high winds, unless your doors are properly braced.
Protect your family from injury due to high winds and flying debris by constructing a safe room in your home. The basement of a home is the best location for a safe room; otherwise, locate the room on the interior, ground floor of your home. Safe rooms are constructed with reinforced floors, walls, and ceilings and can be designed for both new and existing homes. For a reasonable cost, these rooms can provide you with peace of mind during a major wind event. Manufactured Homes While manufactured homes can be attractive alternatives to traditional homes, they are also more vulnerable to damage from high winds as a result of non-permanent foundations. In addition, tie-downs could rust, weaken, wear out, or break, leaving the home and your family more susceptible to damage or injury. Tie-downs secure the frame, not the entire house. The home's foundation-to-wall or wall-to-roof connections may be compromised in the wind. Failure in either of these areas could result in a complete loss of the home. Remember, a community storm shelter or other secure structure is always a better alternative to protect your family from harm.
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