Signature-Built Homes
Weathering the Storm
Homebuilders Introduce Smart Stormproofing Techniques.
Everyone talks about the weather.? And at last, someone is doing something about it.
Builders, product manufacturers, construction suppliers and engineers have put their heads together to create safer, stronger homes in a state that’s famous for sunshine, but which has experienced some wild and wicked storms in the last few years.
Some of the best ideas are big, such as safe rooms embedded within the home or completely new roofing systems. Others are as small, such as a tweak in the design of nails. And still others are on the drawing board, yet to be perfected or put to the test.
Terms like wind-shear, pull-off resistance, missile impact and wall-assembly failure are now part of every homebuilder’s vernacular.
“We’ve learned the hard way that Florida residents must make stormproofing a part of their lives, and that Florida builders must be able to construct homes that can stand up to the weather,” says David Helms, owner of Signature-Built Homes in Tampa" target="_blank">Pinellas County.
Helms uses what he calls a “code-plus” approach to build a stronger structure than is mandated by law. “Change is difficult,” he says, “but sometimes you have to let go of the old methods and take a new approach.”
For starters, Helms has replaced standard concrete-block construction with Powerwalls Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) blocks that interlock around a cage of horizontal and vertical steel.
Helms then surrounds the framework completely with poured concrete strengthened with twisted metal Helix fibers. This earns his homes a wind rating of up to 250 miles per hour and an insulation factor of R50; almost 10 times the typical R5.4 of standard block homes.?
Helms also uses windows with double-insulated, impact-resistant glass and coats the exterior of every home with a polymer-based product called Coraflex in lieu of traditional stucco and paint.
The color-through coating looks exactly like stucco and is water-resistant and vapor-permeable. But unlike stucco, Coraflex never needs painting and won’t crack.
“We learned about catastrophic wall-assembly failure when multiple storms ripped through the state,” Helms says. “The rain was so intense it passed through the paint, saturated the stucco, soaked through the block and the insulation and caused the drywall to literally melt right off the interior walls.”
Helms adds that older homes escaped such damage due to multiple coats of paint, which acted as a sealant and a water barrier. Using products such as Coraflex affords new construction the same protection, he notes.
Nohl Crest Homes has also changed the way it builds, according to company president Peter Tibma.
“We use a lot more steel these days, nearly tripling the amount we used before Hurricane Andrew in 1992,” explains Tibma. “We also use a different type of steel strapping that’s embedded within the concrete-block walls and tied from the roof trusses onto the foundation for a very secure roof.”
Nohl Crest also uses stronger roofing shingles and better methods of attaching the shingles to the structure. One of the most promising new products, says Tibma, is a “Hurriquake” nail—a longer, stronger nail designed for greater pull-off resistance.
Likewise, Nohl Crest has changed the way contractors set windows and doors, using fasteners that dig deep into the frame and offer superior size and strength when compared to standard fasteners.
“I believe houses are safer now,” says Tibma. “We’ve learned from past experience.”
Hillsborough County builder John Sample of Sample Properties strives to create buildings in such a way that storms can’t force their way inside.
“The goal is to keep the envelope intact and maintain integrity of that envelope,” Sample explains. “Most of the major damage during a hurricane occurs when the envelope is compromised, through a door or window or a hole in the roof. Wind and rain are allowed inside and the effects of negative pressure are drastic.”
Sample is currently reinforcing windows and doors with tighter connectors, longer screws and more frequent attachment points. In addition, barrel tiles on roofs are now individually screwed in place.
Sample also builds a continuous and unbroken bond from roof to slab into every home.
“With truss anchors and hurricane clips, we’re able to connect the roof to the slab,” Sample says. “We use threaded iron rods in our frame houses and steel bars embedded in concrete for our block houses. This strengthens the integrity of the entire structure.”
Buyers looking to prepare for a storm’s collateral impact, such as power outages, are keen on generators. So Sample installs models fueled by both natural gas and liquid propane.?
“Generator size is based on square footage and price is based on size,” Sample says. “But some clients are determined to have their own miniature electric plant in the back yard and are more than willing to pay the cost.”
Sample uses the design period in each project as a time to head off potential problems—and he’s candid with clients when it comes to safety.
“Huge picture windows and vast expanses of glass may look beautiful but may not be feasible,” Sample explains. “We may have to compromise with smaller panels of glass or three smaller windows instead of one big one. The look of a house is important, of course, but strength must not be overlooked.”
Karyn Sbar of Soleil Design Builders in Tampa agrees.
“We’ve moved to two-by-six boards instead of two-by-fours in framing,” Sbar says. “We also pour concrete every four feet and in cells around every opening.”
In addition, Soleil has switched to a closed attic system with spray foam insulation to stop water intrusion. And the company uses a high-impact double glass that is so strong it’s practically bullet-proof.
“Any client living in the V-zone (high-velocity, such as open waterfront) has to realize that safety comes first, Sbar adds. “Homes must be built to withstand the weather that Florida receives.”?
Builders, product manufacturers, construction suppliers and engineers have put their heads together to create safer, stronger homes in a state that’s famous for sunshine, but which has experienced some wild and wicked storms in the last few years.
Some of the best ideas are big, such as safe rooms embedded within the home or completely new roofing systems. Others are as small, such as a tweak in the design of nails. And still others are on the drawing board, yet to be perfected or put to the test.
Terms like wind-shear, pull-off resistance, missile impact and wall-assembly failure are now part of every homebuilder’s vernacular.
“We’ve learned the hard way that Florida residents must make stormproofing a part of their lives, and that Florida builders must be able to construct homes that can stand up to the weather,” says David Helms, owner of Signature-Built Homes in Tampa" target="_blank">Pinellas County.
Helms uses what he calls a “code-plus” approach to build a stronger structure than is mandated by law. “Change is difficult,” he says, “but sometimes you have to let go of the old methods and take a new approach.”
For starters, Helms has replaced standard concrete-block construction with Powerwalls Insulated Concrete Form (ICF) blocks that interlock around a cage of horizontal and vertical steel.
Helms then surrounds the framework completely with poured concrete strengthened with twisted metal Helix fibers. This earns his homes a wind rating of up to 250 miles per hour and an insulation factor of R50; almost 10 times the typical R5.4 of standard block homes.?
Helms also uses windows with double-insulated, impact-resistant glass and coats the exterior of every home with a polymer-based product called Coraflex in lieu of traditional stucco and paint.
The color-through coating looks exactly like stucco and is water-resistant and vapor-permeable. But unlike stucco, Coraflex never needs painting and won’t crack.
“We learned about catastrophic wall-assembly failure when multiple storms ripped through the state,” Helms says. “The rain was so intense it passed through the paint, saturated the stucco, soaked through the block and the insulation and caused the drywall to literally melt right off the interior walls.”
Helms adds that older homes escaped such damage due to multiple coats of paint, which acted as a sealant and a water barrier. Using products such as Coraflex affords new construction the same protection, he notes.
Nohl Crest Homes has also changed the way it builds, according to company president Peter Tibma.
“We use a lot more steel these days, nearly tripling the amount we used before Hurricane Andrew in 1992,” explains Tibma. “We also use a different type of steel strapping that’s embedded within the concrete-block walls and tied from the roof trusses onto the foundation for a very secure roof.”
Nohl Crest also uses stronger roofing shingles and better methods of attaching the shingles to the structure. One of the most promising new products, says Tibma, is a “Hurriquake” nail—a longer, stronger nail designed for greater pull-off resistance.
Likewise, Nohl Crest has changed the way contractors set windows and doors, using fasteners that dig deep into the frame and offer superior size and strength when compared to standard fasteners.
“I believe houses are safer now,” says Tibma. “We’ve learned from past experience.”
Hillsborough County builder John Sample of Sample Properties strives to create buildings in such a way that storms can’t force their way inside.
“The goal is to keep the envelope intact and maintain integrity of that envelope,” Sample explains. “Most of the major damage during a hurricane occurs when the envelope is compromised, through a door or window or a hole in the roof. Wind and rain are allowed inside and the effects of negative pressure are drastic.”
Sample is currently reinforcing windows and doors with tighter connectors, longer screws and more frequent attachment points. In addition, barrel tiles on roofs are now individually screwed in place.
Sample also builds a continuous and unbroken bond from roof to slab into every home.
“With truss anchors and hurricane clips, we’re able to connect the roof to the slab,” Sample says. “We use threaded iron rods in our frame houses and steel bars embedded in concrete for our block houses. This strengthens the integrity of the entire structure.”
Buyers looking to prepare for a storm’s collateral impact, such as power outages, are keen on generators. So Sample installs models fueled by both natural gas and liquid propane.?
“Generator size is based on square footage and price is based on size,” Sample says. “But some clients are determined to have their own miniature electric plant in the back yard and are more than willing to pay the cost.”
Sample uses the design period in each project as a time to head off potential problems—and he’s candid with clients when it comes to safety.
“Huge picture windows and vast expanses of glass may look beautiful but may not be feasible,” Sample explains. “We may have to compromise with smaller panels of glass or three smaller windows instead of one big one. The look of a house is important, of course, but strength must not be overlooked.”
Karyn Sbar of Soleil Design Builders in Tampa agrees.
“We’ve moved to two-by-six boards instead of two-by-fours in framing,” Sbar says. “We also pour concrete every four feet and in cells around every opening.”
In addition, Soleil has switched to a closed attic system with spray foam insulation to stop water intrusion. And the company uses a high-impact double glass that is so strong it’s practically bullet-proof.
“Any client living in the V-zone (high-velocity, such as open waterfront) has to realize that safety comes first, Sbar adds. “Homes must be built to withstand the weather that Florida receives.”?