Disaster Resistance -
Hurricanes / High Winds / Tornadoes
Hurricanes, high winds, and tornadoes can unleash on the roofs and walls of building exerting extreme pressures against the building shell. Select the building components listed below to be directed to guides that can provide detailed information on making your home more resistant to these forces.
Description
Overview guide outlining home construction techniques used in hurricane and high wind areas.
Description
An information guide on the best practices of ensuring the safety of those returning to a home after a disaster.
Description
Guide describing the advantages and disadvantages of gable roof and hip roofs and how both designs react under high wind loads.
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Guide describing design for shelter-in-place spaces during windstorm storm events.
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An information guide describing design considerations for improving occupant safety and minimizing windstorm property damage in new homes in high-wind and hurricane-prone areas.
Description
Guide describing options for designing and locating the thermal boundary at either the attic floor or along the roof line in new and existing homes.
Roof Type
Description
Guide discussing disaster resistance related to asphalt shingle roofing when installing roofing on new construction or when repairing or replacing roofing on existing homes.
Description
Guide discussing disaster resistance related to clay or concrete tile roofing when installing roofing on new construction or when repairing or replacing roofing on existing homes.
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Guide discussing disaster resistance related to metal roofing when installing roofing on new construction or when repairing or replacing roofing on existing homes.
Description
A guide describing how to install low-sloped ("flat") roofs with insulation above the roof deck that resist wind pressures during high-wind events.
Roof Sealing / Sheathing / Venting
Description
Guide describing requirements for sheathing and sealing the roof decking in accordance with the requirements of the IBHS Fortified Home Program's Hurricane and High Wind Standards, and other roofing considerations to increase the roof's disaster resistance.
Description
Guide describing how to seal roof valleys and how to seal around pipes, chimneys, and other roof deck penetrations.
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Guide describing how to install step and kick-out flashing on roofs.
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Guide describing how to install and properly integrate flashing at the intersection of the wall and roof on an existing home.
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Guide describing designs and construction retrofits for roof assemblies to resist pressures at roof edges during high-wind events.
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Guide describing the installation of roof vents that are resistant to damage from high winds and entry of wind-borne rain, wildfire embers, or pests.
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Guide describing construction of gable roof overhangs to resist uplift pressures in high winds.
Description
Guide describing construction of sloped roofs that are unvented and are insulated above the roof deck.
Roof Attachments
Description
A guide for choosing, installing, and flashing roof anchoring systems for solar panels.
Description
Guide describing how to provide a continuous water control layer across the roof assembly by sealing all penetrations for pipes, vents, etc. in existing roofs.
Description
Guide describing the installation of gutters, downspouts, and alternate options for managing rainwater run-off from roofs.
Description
Guide providing information about flashing around a chimney to protect the intersection of the roof and chimney walls from water intrusion and anchoring of a chimney to prevent collapse in high winds.
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Guide describing ways to strengthen roof assemblies for resistance to hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.
Description
Guide describing ways to retrofit an existing roof to increase its resistance to damage during hurricanes, high winds, and earthquakes.
Attics
Description
Guide describing options for designing and locating the thermal boundary at either the attic floor or along the roof line in new and existing homes.
Description
Guide describing how to add spray foam insulation to the underside of the existing roof deck as part of the conversion of a vented attic to an unvented, insulated attic.
Walls
Description
Guide describing the need for adequate structural sheathing in exterior walls in homes in high-wind areas.
Description
Guide describing how to brace gable end walls to resist wind pressures.
Description
Guide describing installation of a fully sealed continuous weather resistant barrier to provide a drainage plane to keep rainwater out of above-grade walls.
Description
Guide describing techniques for installing insulating sheathing as a continuous drainage plane on walls.
Description
Guide describing how to apply an air control layer directly over existing wall sheathing and cover with two layers of insulating sheathing held in place by vertical furring strips.
Description
Guide describing how to install flashing that is integrated with air and water control layers around piping, vents, and other wall penetrations as part of an exterior wall retrofit.
Description
Guide describing how to select the siding materials best suited to withstand hazards the home is likely to face within its lifetime.
Windows
Description
Guide describing how to strengthen or protect windows against wind and wind-borne debris during high-wind events including hurricanes and tornados.
Description
Guide describing how to install flashings to help direct water down and out of windows and doors openings in exterior walls.
Doors
Description
Guide describing the use of doors that are insulated and are impact rated or have protective coverings for resistance to hurricane, high winds, wildfires and thermal losses.
Description
Guide describing how to air seal doors that are next to unconditioned spaces.
Description
Guide describing garage doors that are pressure-rated to withstand wind pressures from hurricanes, high winds, and tornados.
Porches / Carports / Decks
Description
Guide describing how to provide a continuous load path with appropriate connectors to improve the wind resistance of attached porches, carports, and decks during high-wind events.
Foundation
Description
Guide describing how to provide a strong continuous load path from the roof through the wall to the foundation to ensure a structurally sound building and increase racking resistance in hurricanes, high winds, tornados, and earthquakes.
Site
Description
Guide describing how to properly grade a site so water will flow away from the foundation.
Description
Guide describing how to correctly slope solid surfaces outside a home so rainwater flows away from the home.
Description
Guide describing the use of swales, French drains, and site grading to minimize saturation of foundations and ponding of stormwater runoff on sites.
Description
Guide describing methods for short-term control of erosion during construction and long-term measures for controlling erosion on sloped sites or sites with river banks or shore lines.
Operations
Description
Guide describing space planning for emergency supplies storage.
Equipment
Description
Guide describing fuel tank anchoring practices for disaster resistance.