Hurricanes are powerful storms. We are vulnerable to hurricane-force winds and torrential rainfall. Call your local building inspection office to find out if your home meets current building code requirements for high-wind regions. Experts agree that structures built to meet or exceed current building codes’ high-wind provisions have a much better chance of surviving violent windstorms.
Inside your home:
The safest doors to withstand strong winds have three or more hinges, and a dead-bolt security lock with a bolt at least 2.5 centimetres long. Door frames should be securely anchored to wall framing. Double doors should be secured with head and foot bolts.
Window glass covered with protective film will not shatter if it breaks.
The home itself:
Install storm shutters to all exposed windows and glass surfaces. This is the easiest and most cost-effective way to protect your home from this hazard.
Garage doors: All garage doors can pose a hazard during a violent wind storm with doors more than eight feet wide being the most vulnerable. Many garage doors can be reinforced at their weakest points by installing wood or metal stiffeners. Some garage doors can be strengthened with retrofit kits. This involves installing horizontal bracing onto each panel. These can be a part of a kit or provided by the manufacturer.
Roof: Homes with gable roofs are more likely to suffer damage during a hurricane. A gable roof looks like an "A" on the ends, with the outside wall going to the top of the roof. Check to see if your home has truss roof bracing; if not, be sure to have it installed.
If you are replacing your roof, take steps to ensure that both the new roof covering and the sheathing to which it is attached to will resist high winds. Your roofing contractor should: Remove old coverings down to the bare wood sheathing. Temporarily remove enough sheathing to confirm that rafters and trusses are securely connected to the walls. Replace damaged sheathing. Refasten existing sheathing according to the proper fastening schedule outlined in the current model building code for high-wind regions. Install a roof covering that is designed to resist high-winds. Also consider using a double-layer application of heavier felt roofing paper, secured with sufficient sheet metal tabs, to avoid water damage.
Connections: The points where the roof and the foundation meet the walls of your home are extremely important if your house is to resist high-winds and the pressure they place on the structure.
Have a professional install hurricane straps – these are designed to help hold your roof to the walls.
If your home has more than one storey, make certain that the upper storey wall framing is firmly connected to the lower framing. The ideal time to have this done is during remodeling.
Outside your home:
Replace gravel-rock landscaping material with shredded bark.
Keep trees and shrubbery trimmed.
Remove weak branches and trees that could fall on your home.
The Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction
Toronto Office 20 Richmond Street East, Suite 210, Toronto, Ontario M5C 2R9 Tel: (416) 364-8677 Fax: (416) 364-5889
London Office Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory University of Western Ontario 1151 Richmond Street, London, Canada N6A 5B9 Tel: (519) 661-3234 Fax: (519) 661-4273
