This photo is of the roof to wall attachment of the rafter to the masonry block bond beam.
It is a single wrap installed within 1.5 inches away from the structure. It is secured with 4 nails on the front side and 2 nail on the opposite side. In the wind mitigation report the correct boxes to check for ROOF TO WALL ATTACHMENT would be as follows:
☐ Secured to truss/rafter with a minimum of three (3) nails, and
☐ Attached to the wall top plate of the wall framing, or embedded in the bond beam, with less than a 1/2" gap from the blocking or truss/rafter and blocked no more than 1.5” of the truss/rafter, and free of visible severe corrosion.
☐ C. Single Wraps - Metal connectors consisting of a single strap that wraps over the top of the truss/rafter and is secured with a minimum of 2 nails on the front side and a minimum of 1 nail on the opposing side.
As a resident of central Florida most of the foundations in my area are monolithic poured slabs. As these are less susceptible to horizontal forces they are nun the less susceptible to vertical forces. It is important to identify when cracks appear to be able to identify those that may jeopardize the foundation. Because of the high temperature fluctuations and soft sandy soil here these foundations are susceptible to some cracking. In large areas where no expansion joints are present this will almost be a certain over time.
Looking at the walls and framing can help in identifying if there is a larger issue. Masonry block structures are easier to identify by the separation of the mortar in steps and cracking in the stucco. With wood frame structures warping in the vinyl siding and openings as in windows and doors that no longer open/close correctly because they are no longer square can be an identifier of more extreme settling in the foundation.
I chose to research linoleum due to my relative unfamiliarity with the product.
The history and composition of linoleum was quite an eye opener.
First, I was surprised to learn of its 150+ year history as a flooring material. Linoleum’s name reflects its natural constituents (flax-oil), which also give it its natural antimicrobial characteristics. It’s hard to believe such a multifaceted product (superior to some modern flooring solutions) was developed so long ago.
Secondly, linoleum is the predecessor to the vinyl flooring we typically see installed today. I realize I’ve been incorrectly referring to vinyl flooring as linoleum for some time. Vinyl does not share the natural antimicrobial characteristics, and in Florida, mold and mildew can proliferate.
Lastly, I was encouraged to hear that linoleum was making a comeback for health and environmental reasons. I can see it being a valuable resource for many different building types, especially commercial and green building applications.
The home is mainly a hip roof with twenty five year architectural shingles. The Florida room is enclosed and covered by a low pitched flat deck with rolled roofing. The shingles appear to be about twelve years of age, which gives them an expected useful life of about eight years*, conservatively. The rolled roofing appears to have been replaced more recently, as evidenced by the new shingles where the roof lines meet, as well as new hip and ridge. There is no evidence of ponding. Rolled roofing appears to be about four years of age. Estimated useful life is approximately seven years*.
No leaks detected at time of inspection.
(Roof inspections in Florida require estimates for useful life*).
Student: Alexander Mansur, FL Lic.#HI8597
Class: How to Perform Wind Mitigation Inspections - Writing assignment
The referenced photo is of a gable-end from a home I conducted an inspection on recently. A couple deficiencies were observed with this gable-end, which did not allow the owner to receive full credit on the Florida Wind Mitigation from. Firstly, the exterior of the gable-end is only covered by the exterior aluminum siding. Gable-ends need to be covered with solid wood sheathing behind any applied siding. Secondly, the gable-end is not fully braced. Some diagonal and horizontal bracing are present, but not enough to be considered fully braced. The bracing needs to be at least a 2x4 thick with a minimum length of 8 feet.
Student: Alexander Mansur
Class: “How to Perform Wind Mitigation Inspections” - Research Assignment
In March of 2003, it was required in the Sunshine state(Florida) that insurers provide discounts/credits to homeowners for the windstorm protection portion of their homeowner’s insurance. The windstorm protection can be any where from 15 up to 70% of their insurance premiums. Additionally, in 2006, Florida passed another law increasing the amount of discounts/credits the homeowner can receive.
This is a picture of an impact rated door with a non impact resistant glaze opening. Oftentimes homeowners purchase decorative impact rated doors assuming the glass is included in the rating. In this picture, the glaze opening is tempered glass and it specifically has “non-impact” etched in the corner of the glass. I explained to the homeowner that one small unprotected opening is all it takes for wind and water intrusion. I also explained that if a roof system doesn’t have hurricane clips or straps-securing the roof to the walls; this one unprotected opening could be the access point for intense hurricane winds to lift the roof off. Homeowners tend to focus on all of the protective devices that are in place instead of the one or two weak links. When explained properly, most homeowners are compelled to strengthen or retrofit building components as needed.
This photo is of the roof to wall attachment of the rafter to the masonry block bond beam.
It is a single wrap installed within .5 inches away from the structure. It is secured with 2 nails on the front side and 1 nail on the opposite side. The strap is secured to truss/rafter with a minimum of 2 nails on the front side and a minimum of 1 nail on the opposing side.
There are two standard methods to calculate the thickness of roof decking. The first is to find a stamp on the decking that usually provides the manufacturer, material, and thickness. The second method is to use a flat thin ruler and place it between the boards. If you do not have a ruler, a business card will work as well. Just make sure to notate on the card how deep it goes.
Wind Mitigation
by Nick Gromicko and Kenton Shepard
A typical home in a high wind risk area can have up to 70% of their total homeowner’s insurance premium costs dedicated to wind damage. To help reduce costs to the homeowner, incentives for certain building techniques that limit damage cause by high winds were introduced. There are also upgrades that can be added on by the homeowner that can be used to reduce the premiums. Examples of these upgrades include impact resistant windows, garage doors, and exterior entry doors.
A single clip does not wrap over the top of the truss/rafter and must have a minimum of three nails. There must not be a gap larger than one half inch between the truss and the clip. Every truss tail must have a clip. The inspector should look at three truss tails in two different locations to determine a consistent pattern. There must not be severe corrosion. A clip or tie down photograph must accompany the wind mitigation form.
Bill Wilson August 1, 2016
This is a photo of a single strap roof truss to wall connector, it appears to be in good condition with no rust or corrosion. There are 3 nails securing this strap to the truss.
As you can clearly see from the photo the space between the strap and the truss appears to be greater than the allowed 1-1/2”
Additionally, there is no wood filler block to keep the strap straight to fulfill the requirement.
Modern materials and construction techniques may reduce the amount of outside air brought into buildings, which may result in high moisture levels inside. Using humidifiers, unvented heaters, and air conditioners in our homes has increased the chances of moisture forming on interior surfaces.
This photo shows that an inspector has done a Wind mitigation on this fully hip roof. He has marked off that the OSB half inch sheathing is attached using 8d nails and they are applied less than 6inches apart. Also notice that there are very few missed nails (shiners). The second photo shows the roof is attached to the home with single straps. The homeowner will get a significate discount toward their home insurance from having this Wind Mitigation done on their home.
OSB and plywood appear similar and are usually interchangeable, the different ways that each material is manufactured contribute to each having its own unique strengths and weaknesses. OSB is manufactured from heat-cured adhesives and rectangular- shaped wood strands that are arranged in cross-oriented layers. Plywood is made from thin sheets of veneer (layers of wood that are peeled from a spinning log) that are cross-laminated and glued together with a hot press. There are many advantages of using OSB such as: it can be manufactured into panels that are larger than plywood. OSB is more uniform, so there are fewer soft spots, such as those that can occur in plywood. OSB is less expensive than plywood. To build a typical 2,400-square foot home, OSB may cost $700 less than plywood. OSB is considered by many to be a “green” building material because it can be made from smaller-diameter trees, such as poplars, that are often farmed. Plywood production, by contrast, requires larger-diameter trees from old-growth forests. Plywood has a tendency to delaminate, especially in hot climates such as Florida.
This is a roof to wall attachment connection. It is a single strap that goes over the truss and is secured with multiple nails for attachment on one side and two on the other. This keeps the truss attached to the house/wall in the event of a hurricane or strong winds.
This is a photo of a single strap that’s gone over the truss, down the other side, with two nails for attachment. It is attached with 2 nails as is the requirement. The purpose of this is to ensure that the truss remains attached to wall in the event of a hurricane or strong wind.
It is very important to take many clear photos of the items requested in the wind mitigation. As an inspector, your job is to make the written wind mitigation completely verifiable with photographic evidence to anyone reading your report. Always take extra photos of the items and areas you are inspecting to prevent you from having to go back to and reinspect the home should there ever be a question.
I assume we are to write two of these… Always be professional when working in someone else’s home. Be very diligent, take a lot of photos (more than required) and be safe. I continually see sharpie markings on trusses from previous inspectors that are incorrect, were never actually scanned and constitute fraud. DO NOT BE THAT GUY! Do it right, the first time!
This image is of a single wrap, wrapping over the truss. The single wrap is flush up against the truss member and has the appropriate nail count. The wrap is free of corrosion and wraps up and over the truss and has the appropriate nail count on the backside of the truss. This image was taken on a wind mitigation inspection and reviewing the attic space near the attic access, one might think this is the weakest form of roof to wall connection. It was not, be careful to check the whole of the attic space, the weakest roof to wall connection was actually clips, which were found in the attic space at the rear of the structure.
