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Materials and Styles Used for Hurricane Proof Houses

1/17/2016

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South Florida is a beacon for some of the Worlds most powerful storm systems. Billions of dollars in property damage, homeless families, chaos on the streets, is what a hurricane or tornado leaves behind. If your home is not properly prepared for fierce winds, flooding, and heavy rainfall, then you're at risk of losing more than just money. Residents of South Florida are investing in newer, more effective construction systems for a safer living environment. The main elements for the safest home in South Florida are the quality in material, aerodynamic shape, radial engineering, sound connections, and overall sustainability. 

Precast Concrete for Sturdier Infrastructure

Some of the safest hurricane-proof homes in South Florida are built with precast concrete segments on roofs, walls, and floors. Precast concrete is produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold; this is then cured in a controlled environment. Precast concrete cures better than standard concrete as it is treated in a precast plant with routine inspections by plant employees. The four precast wall panel types are called Sandwich, plastered sandwich, inner layer, and cladding panels. Insulating Concrete Forms (ICFs) are also used for hurricane-proof structures; they are solid interlocking blocks made of a rigid and resilient foam expanded polystyrene. 

Tie Down That Roof

The roofs may be made of lumber or a poured down solid roof, but must have hurricane straps to anchor it down. Strong-Tie galvanized-steel hurricane clips may also be used to secure weak connections on the roof. To add additional safety and durability, a flat or pitched concrete roof may be built. A good roof slope will help shed water and can reduce wind forces. Hip roofs withstand more wind punishment than Gabled roofs. 

Standard windows are no match for hurricane winds; they can cause glass shards to be deadly projectiles. Since most homes don't come with tempered glass, which will not shatter into small pieces, wood or metal shutters are recommended for one of the few protections for windows. 

One way to keep structures more grounded is by using Cable-Tite. This material connects the J-bolt of the foundation to the top plate, tying the house down for fortification from being lifted from strong winds. 

If building a home from scratch, the "Monolithic dome" or reinforced-concrete dome style architecture has been proven to withstand almost all forces of nature, even earthquakes. Monolithic domes are cheap, energy efficient, and easy to build. They are also fire-resistant, mold-resistant and impervious to rot. Building a Monolithic dome consists of pouring a concrete foundation, inflating a tough and resistant, dome-shaped structure, erecting steel rebar scaffolding around that, and then applying Shotcrete over the outside. 

A Safe-Room is Always a Good Idea

Having a safe-room is always necessary for any type of natural disaster. One can be made in the basement or the master bedrooms walk-in closet can work as one as well. Make sure to have proper food and water supplies available in the safe-room. Some type of radio communication system should be inside the safe-room as well. 

The house doors should be impact and flood resistant, this includes the front door, back door, garage door, and sliding doors. All precautionary measures should be taken before a storm system comes your way. XTRM Construction has been building high quality hurricane-proof homes for many years and we use only the best materials for fortification and sustainability. An intricate process is used by our architects and contractors to make these state-of-the-art homes, contact us today for a free quote!

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    General Contractor

    Alex Barberena
    I am a General Contractor with over 10 years of experience in the construction industry. Much of my knowledge comes from hands on experience in various types of construction jobs. I like sharing my construction experience to help out the DIY'er make his own construction projects. 

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