What are some of the most important factors that are looked at in a wind mitigation?
- The year the home was built plays an important role in how ready your home is for a hurricane. Prior to Hurricane Andrew in 1992, there were no hurricane laws regarding building codes for a home or condo in a hurricane zone.
2. Roof to wall attachment. Huh? That’s the strap, or clip that is attached from the wall of the home, and is attached to truss of the roof. It helps distribute the wind load to the ground when under distress. Up until 1992, you didn’t need a clip or strap in order to pass, now you do, and the clip or strap must have 3 nails. If you find out you only have two nails, it is considered toe nails on the report. Speak with your insurance agent to see if it would financially advantageous to add the third nail. A lot of the times it is advantageous.
3. Believe it or not, the shape of your roof has the potential to offer you bigger discounts than others. Insurance companies like hip roofs over gable. The wind load against a gable is 40% stronger than against a house with a hip roof. A lot of times the gable reinforcement fails, which causes roofs to fail. What type of roof do you have?
Hip Roof
Gable Roof
4. Deck to truss connection. Say what? That is the nail size that goes through the plywood on the deck of your roof and into the truss. There are two different sizes, 8D nails/staples, or 6D nails/staples. 8D nails are preferred because they are longer, and can withstand a higher up-lift pressure than 6d nails.
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5. If you have had a new roof put on recently, does it have a secondary water barrier? Huh? It is a secondary layer on your roof to make it “one cohesive unit”. It helps to prevent your roof from blowing off in a hurricane. It is a big discount on your policy. If planning on getting a new roof soon, consider adding it on, it will only run around $250-$500 extra, and you’ll make that back in insurance savings.
6. Do you have hurricane shutter or windows? Don’t forget to do the garage door in order to get the full credit! The garage needs to be able to resist a “large missile” hitting it at 160 mph and bounce it off. A large missile is considered a 2×4 or a coconut being launched at 160 mph at the your structure. That is the last big discount you can get on your homeowners policy from a wind mitigation inspection.
Ready to book a wind mitigation inspection? Call us at 239-825-7123
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