Page 22 - Green Builder Magazine Jan-Feb 2018 Issue

Building Flaws and Their Solutions

1

Design wind loads used were too low,
Shiners – Staples resulting in members and connections too

weak for the winds encountered, and roof
and framing damage.
CREDIT: FLORIDA DIV. OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT combined. A common failure point in high winds, for example, has
Bent Strap HIS IS PRIMARILY A PROBLEM with older homes built before codes

Top of were improved, subject to the rigors of corrosion (see page 21]) or poor
workmanship, especially in homes where two structural systems are
Concrete Wall T been the weak linkage between concrete masonry walls and engineered

truss roof systems. As Florida’s Division of Emergency Management notes, “the

of the block, often with only a few widely spaced anchors. Rafters were then
Weak link. This thin metal strap is not enough to vast majority” of older CMU homes simply had a 2 x 8 plate attached to the top CREDIT: FEMA
toenailed to this face plate. For new and retrofits, this plate must be attached by
hold a truss rafter to a masonry wall in a big storm. embedding anchor bolts of a half-inch or larger diameter, spaced no more than 48
inches. The bolt must be installed within a couple of inches of the end of any plate.
Also, washers and nuts must fit without gouging out the wood. I would recommend
stainless steel anchors (see item No. 6).

2

Degradation of building elements

and connections due to material
deterioration, insect infestation

or lack of proper preventive
maintenance resulted in premature
building and envelope system failure.
I
WOULD CLASSIFY THIS AS THE NO. 1 ISSUE of concern
in hurricane-threatened regions. The Insurance Journal notes
that the age of a home has a direct correspondence to the
level of damage inflicted by a hurricane. Homes in Florida
built between 1994 and the 2001 code upgrade, for example
suffered much more than newer homes. But homes built prior to
1994 fared even more poorly. Hurricane Andrew in 1992 destroyed Age matters. Older building materials and systems perform much more
125,000 Florida homes. poorly in high wind than new products built to better codes.
An important consideration for the future is the intermixing of debris region, where new homes requiring impact glass and other
new and older homes. A 30-year-old property can literally blow to features (see page 25).
pieces in a storm, and all of its components, such as roof tiles, 2 x The best defense is to build the home as we’ve suggested here,
4s and plywood, become airborne projectiles. And that’s not even with corrosion-resistant materials, sufficient high-quality fasteners
considering the force of a home carried off of its foundation by storm and straps, with the goal to make future homes much more able to
surge flooding. Some areas of Florida are designated as a windborne maintain their hurricane resistance than their predecessors.

20 GREEN BUILDER January/February 2018 www.greenbuildermedia.com

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