I chose this picture for a few reasons. Mainly because determining the size of the nails was a concern. The course mentioned locating one that missed the rafter or split it. In this picture the line of missing nails is a defect unless someone went back and re-nailed in all the missed locations. However having worked as a builder in NJ, some areas devastated by Hurricane Sandy. To observe the structural damage was fascinating. But in some areas, depending on the inspector or town, they may decide to fail the inspection for missed nails ad require them removed. Consequently many builders send someone around removing all these nails so they don’t fail the inspection and hold up progress. So finding the one missed nail to determine the fastener size may be difficult or require a lot of crawling around in the attic.
I chose to write about the article “Wind Mitigation.” Having never thought about the roof shape or roof geometry, its surprising that field testing shows that hip roofs receive 40% less wind pressure than gable roofs. Also having some experience with high winds pushing water through French doors or patio sliders wind mitigation is not totally new. During storms and periods of high winds, I have seen all types of garbage and debris roll or whisk by on the ground but again never had to consider flying debris when choosing or installing a window.
Roof to wall attachment and the roof geometry to me are the most important parts of the wind mitigation inspection process. At the end of the inspection its always recommended to inform the buyer if they got single wraps and a hip roof that will help reduce their insurance premium. And always let them now also if theres any opening that is not protected in the property.
I read the Wind Mitigation article. It’s already mandatory in some cities in Florida that High Impact Rated products (windows,doors,garage doors) are installed when remodeling a property. People still havent fully understand that ALL openings have to be protected. Education in this matter should also be part of the realtors education.
I took this picture to show that I was physically checking to see if the roof sheathing was covered with a self adhering bitumen underlayment. The owner of this home had said it was and had produced a permit dated 2014 that said he was correct. I always like to physically check if I am able as some individuals are apt to deceive.
After reading several articles on wind mitigation saying the number one failure is garage doors, I must comment on my own experiences. I have lived in Melbourne since 1956 and experienced many hurricanes and tropical storms. The item I have seen more often, and the costliest, has been water damage related to the failure [blowing off] of roof coatings. I consider the requirement of sealing the roof deck to be the best part of the revised building requirements.
This is a prime example of a non-impact window that is not approved by current insurance wind mitigation programs in the state of Florida. The glass of the window in a single pane and there is no covering for the protection window either.
The main aspect that I took from the framing section of the wind mitigation training was the aspect of balloon framing. I have always heard the terminology but now understand the premise behind the framing method. The fact there are continuous vertical framing member’s from the top plate and bottom plate on a two story home is valuable information that I received.
There are steps for determining the wind pressures or forces. The six steps include:
The wind sowed for an area can be determi9by utilizing the appropriate wind speed map. Second, whether a building is considered to
be enclosed must be determined.
There are a few things to learn about the determination of wind loads or forces. As a means for a designer to determine the wind pressures or forces, the following six steps need to be considered. There are several descriptions including open, partially enclosed, or enclosed. The third step is to identify the exposure category of the specific site. Step four determines the importance factor of a structure with houses having an importance factor of 1. The fifth step is determining the appropriate mean height and slope of the roof as determined but the designer. The sixth and final step is determining whether a site is in the Windborne Debris Region.
This is an image of a double strap bracket on a house we did a wind mitigation on. As you can see their are two nails per strap on the one side and a single nail on the other side of the strap. This is exactly how the strap should look like when doing the wind mitigation.
In this course I learned the how to successfully do a wind mitigation for an insurance company. Knowing how to write up a report was the one thing I had to really study. Knowing each tool to use and when to use them was crucial as well. Very informal course.
City of Orlando, Florida, Orange County Florida property,not located in a State of Florida High Velocity Hurricane Zone or (HVHZ); “Built In” (Bonus Room Above) with one (1) single garage door bay and captioned (photographed) garage Door manufacture and installation circa., 06 /2006, captioned Two (2) Bay metal door does not have any windows, two (2) bay garage door has dual locking mechanisms on each end, and properly anchored track brackets with wind rated horizontal reinforcements seven (7).
Window Film Article: Although "Heat Mirror and other types of window films are designed to reflect solar heat, increase a windows R-value, and/or provide shading while reducing the buildings energy costs for both heating and cooling, sometimes significantly, depending on the product do not protect a property from wind borne missile impacts in debris areas produced by hurricanes and or tornadoes. To date (2017) no window tint / film have passed the large, 9-pound missile tests and the required pressure and pressure cycle testing that have not been attached to the window frames.
the roof is a gable roof with proper straps on the trusses and perfect fasteners the windows do not meet the code for wind mitigation .added on screen room and sun room were not accessible . did notice a few missed nails in the decking.
As you can see from the picture this roof has a single strap present. If you look closely you can see that it is being held in place with three nails ,which is two above the recommended one nail, to hold the strap on the opposite side.
all of the windows were not up to code. the back slider was up to code. in my report I advised the insurance company of the situation.in conclusion everything else seemed to be ok. this is all I have to report on at this time.
I read the article on wind mitigation to further my knowledge on the subject. I learned that there are many factors that can be present that can affect the rating of the homes wind mitigation therefore affecting the types of discounts that can be granted to the home owners insurance.
This is actually a picture of my roof that was redone about 3 years ago before i bought the residence. This was the worst truss with misses, was about 6 in the four foot length. Was permitted and installed correctly to FBC, nails spaced every 6 inch’s, 2.5 inch’s in length. There was only one other truss in my attic with a set of 3 nails that missed.
I have learned a few things while going through the wind mitigation course. I didnt know about pilings being greater then 7 feet count as a story, This also clarified some things about the FBC years on the Wind Mitigation forms. I also refreshed on nail size and spacing for roof deck attachments.
While performing a Wind Mitigation inspection, I observed that the garage door is not in compliance with ASTM E 330. The Garage door has non impact glazing. This garage doors is made of fiberglass, doors that are impact rated need to be made of steel.
