Now that Florida backed Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is requiring Florida home owners to meet the Miami-Dade building code standards of hurricane protection to keep their Florida home owners insurance, most insurance companies are following suit. This means you need to either have hurricane shutters, or hurricane impact resistant windows and doors on your Florida home.
There are several advantages to hurricane impact rated windows over hurricane shutters:
Hurricane windows are always “on” – you don’t have to be there to manually roll them down Hurricane windows allow light in while decreasing outside noise Some hurricane windows, like New Code hurricane impact resistant windows, have UV protection, which cuts 99.9% of harmful UV radiation Hurricane windows also tend to be more energy efficient, and can cut your utility bills while also qualifying you for a tax credit of up to $1500 Most people find hurricane windows to be more aesthetically pleasing than hurricane shutters Hurricane impact resistant windows offer 24-7-365 resistance to home intruders and break-ins, unlike hurricane shutters which have to be activated to provide any home security
While hurricane impact resistant windows are the ideal hurricane protection solution in most cases, there are often situations in which hurricane shutters may be the preferred or only solution. One example is on historical buildings, which may be required to keep the original window glass – in these cases, hurricane shutters are really the only satisfactory hurricane protection option. In other cases, where the fastest, most economical solution is the only concern, hurricane shutters may be preferred. There are new models of hurricane shutters, which, even if they don’t have all the advantages of hurricane impact resistant windows, are more attractive and functional than traditional hurricane shutters, and for some people may be very satisfactory.
When looking for a hurricane protection option for your Florida home, it is best to find a hurricane impact resistant window dealer who also provides and is knowledgeable about hurricane shutters so you have all your options covered. In addition, make sure the hurricane window dealer also installs the windows and provides a lifetime warranty.
If a window or door in your Florida home is compromised during a hurricane, the force of the wind pressure blowing in can easily lift the roof right off your home. That is why proper hurricane protection on all home openings and entryways is so important. New Code hurricane impact resistant windows are double layered with a sheet of laminate and a layer of polyurethane acrylic – a layer of liquid glass which hardens in between the glass sheets to keep them intact and able to stand up to 150+ mph hurricane winds even after the exterior sheet of glass has been cracked with a tree limb or other large projectile.
If you have any questions about hurricane impact resistant windows or hurricane shutters, feel free to Contact New Code Windows &Doors at 800-428-8670. To learn more about how hurricane impact resistant glass is made and tested, check out this Discovery Channel feature on New Code Windows.
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Whether a hurricane is forming out in the Atlantic or not, you know that hurricanes are sure to arrive. NOAA has predicted a “near normal” hurricane season this year with a 70 percent chance of 9-14 named storms. Of those tropical storms, 4-7 may grow into hurricanes with the possibility of at least one being a category 3 or above system. Hurricanes are a fact of life for those living along the Atlantic and Gulf Coast. Hurricanes are coming; are you prepared?
Right now is the perfect time to prepare – long before the next monster strikes. By getting ready in advance, you won’t have to scramble nor will you need to compete with other residents for scarce supplies. Time is on your side and supplies are readily available.
You will need to focus on two major areas: protecting your home and your family. You will also need to consider surviving the wrath of the storm as well as its aftermath. Where will you seek shelter and what will you do after the hurricane roars through the region, isolating you for several days without power or water?
Protecting Your Home
Hurricanes with their strong winds, torrential rains, storm surges, and tornados cause massive amounts of property damage each year. Roofs are blown off, windows shattered, and homes are flooded. Securing your home’s weak spots is one of the best preventative steps that you can take to protect it from the fury of a hurricane. Among the retrofit options recommended are:
Hurricane straps – These straps strengthen the roof-to-wall connection. This can be a do-it-yourself job. In addition, a qualified roofer can do the job for you.
Roof retrofitting – If you have a gabled roof, braces are available that secure the gable truss to the wall. For those with shingled roofs, shingles can be reinforced by applying additional adhesive. In addition, applying wood adhesive to the roof deck from the attic helps to reduce the roof’s uplift resistance. Seek the assistance of a roofer.
Storm shutters – Invest in impact resistant shutters for all windows and glass doors and make sure that the fasteners that will hold them in place are up to the job.
Door bolts – Inspect your doors. Can they withstand high winds? Install head and floor bolts on any inactive double doors and make sure that all exterior doors have dead bolt locks containing one inch (or more) bolts and three hinges.
Garage door braces – Double garage doors often fail in a hurricane. Garage door retrofit kits are available; however, because of spring adjustment issues, this job is best left to professionals.
In addition to shoring up your home’s most vulnerable components, consider its belongings. If you live in an area where storm surges are likely, consider moving valuables upstairs where they’re less likely to be flooded.
Protecting Your Family
All families need a plan. Start by asking yourself questions such as: Where will you stay if evacuated? Which rooms are the safest if you stay? Do you have flood insurance? Do you have a hurricane deductible?
Formulate a plan and share it with your family. Designate a place to meet should you later become separated, plan your escape routes, and create a list of emergency phone numbers. Make sure that everyone understands the plan.
Because you’ll be without services such as power and water for many days, put together a disaster kit and load it with non-perishable food, water, first aid supplies, flashlights, a radio, batteries, a mechanical can opener, toiletries, cash, and other essentials. You should have enough food and water for you, your family members, and your pets to last you from three to seven days.
Preparing now makes taking action later much easier. Your house will be strong, you will know what to do, and you will have the supplies that you need to weather the storm. Now’s the time to begin.
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Often being the largest opening on most homes, the garage door is usually the most vulnerable to failure under high wind pressure such as hurricanes, tornadoes and storms in general. The pressure of the wind can destroy the garage doors during a storm that allows water and wind to enter the house. This can cause significant damage to furniture, electronic equipment, the contents in general as well as the house’s structure. The garage door is often overlooked when strengthening the structure against high winds.
Massive building failures and strong winds have convinced storm-prone communities that residents must be prepared to employ active or passive reinforcement systems for their garage doors. An active system is that specific type of reinforcement that must be installed before a high-wind event while passive systems are built into the product and don’t need any activation from the owner. For the home owner in hurricane-prone areas there are only two real options: either a new garage door with a built in passive reinforcement system or a garage door reinforcement kit.
The option of totally replacing the garage door is usually an expensive procedure so a garage door reinforcement kit would be a good choice if your budget for remodeling your garage is low. Although is rather expensive, a new garage door offers a more secure and safe option in front of a high wind.
If you’d rather choose the cheapest option, that is to reinforce your garage door you can protect your home in one of the following ways: first of all install pressure or impact resistant devices, such as shutters, panels, accordion fold shutters on the garage doors or install pressure/impact resistant garage doors that do not require shutters. If your existing door is impact resistant but it is not wind pressure rated, install an approved garage door bracing system to increase the wind pressure resistance. A pressure/impact resistant rating ensures that the device meets the wind pressure and debris impact requirements of the Southern Building Code Congress International standards or the July 1988 wind pressure and debris impact requirements of the American Society of Civil Engineers adopted in September 1994.
When adding a garage door bracing first ensure that there is enough and relevant documentation that the product has been tested at a certified testing laboratory. The product should be designed to withstand both positive and negative wind pressure. You should contact a local garage door supplier of approved garage door bracing systems to assist you in the selection of the necessary system for your needs.
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When Hurricane Andrew his southern Florida in August, 1992, so many houses and business were devestated that manufacturers started thinking about a window that could protect homes from strong winds and flying objects.
They are available in new construction, but if a home is already built and it is in a hurricane zone, hurricane windows can be added as a remodeling project. The cost is not much greater than other windows without the added protection offered by hurricane windows.
The most important benefit of hurricane windows is to protect your home from the high winds and water associated with hurricanes. It has been found that most of the damage done to homes by hurricanes is a result of broken windows. The debris blown around by the high winds breaks the windows, causing the air pressure from the wind to enter the home.
This air pressure can blow out the other windows, even the ones that are not on the windward side of the house, and it can even blow off the roof. People have used shutters in the past to protect their windows, or board up their home every year when a big hurrican threatens. These solutions are both expensive and take a lot of labor. Once you have put the hurricane windows in your home, they are always there, doing what they are supposed to do, protect your home from strong winds. Even those who use plywood as protection have to be careful because storm tracks change quickly so you may be hit when you are not ready, or you may put up plywood and never get hit. With the right kind of windows, you are always ready, but you are not putting in extra work if you don’t need to. Shutters have to be put up and taken down, and sometimes that is a burden on a homeowner who is not in good shape. In addition to these benefits, hurricane windows add other protection to your home. Because of their construction that can take the pressure of heavy winds, they cannot be easily broken. This prevents thefts and accidents. The entire construction design makes the window more difficult to break in to, so many insurance companies are offering a discount to homeowner who have them. You should see if you insurance company can offer you such a discount; it may pay for the windows over time. An additional benefit is that ther is a film in the inner part of the window that protects the home from UV rays.
These rays can cause considerable damage over the years, such as fading carpets, curtains and furniture. The heavy nature of hurricane windows also helps them to serve as sound absorbers. How do hurricane windows work? These windows are made of two separate layers of laminated glass. Between these layers, there is a film of strong plastic. If the window does shatter, which is difficult because of the two layers, the plastic layer stays in place, giving protection to the interior of the home from wind damage and the driving rain. Hurricane windows undergo very thorough testing to make sure they will withstand a storm. Impact tests involve small and large objects being hurled at the window, simulating the debris that may be flying around during a hurricane. These windows are built to endure a wind speed and flying debris of 130 miles an hour. The same glass available for hurricane window is available for skylights, patio doors and other types of glass that may shatter in a major storm. In order to get the most protection from hurricane windows, you must make sure they are properly installed. No window can protect your home if the installation is faulty. In addition, the installation wil be different for each window, depending on the materials of the window frame, etc.
It is best to have a professional install these windows to make sure it is done right. You may even risk not being covered under warranty if you do not have a professional do it.
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Applying Tarps To A Roof after a Hurricane
Tarps are the most quick and easy solution for covering up that roof after a hurricane. It is essential to have the proper tarp and have it installed correctly to prevent further leakage. The FEMA blue standard tarps are the best. They are light weight, easy to set up and they are strong enough to last a month or two until a roofer can re-roof your house. It doesn’t matter whether you use blue, green or brown light duty tarps, just as long as the grommets are sealed and attached strong to the tarp. The proper U.S. standard hurricane tarps can be found at the bigger more specialized tarp distributors. Your local hardware store might have tarps but they are the more light duty kind and usually cost more. The tarps can be installed by the home owner or a roofer. Depending on the size of the structure the application of the tarp can take anywhere from minutes to hours.
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There is nothing anyone can do when nature decides to leash out its fury. There is no way to stop it so people should brace for the worse and seek shelter.
In order to minimize the loss of life, most towns and cities have created emergency plans. Sirens are placed in strategic locations to announce a major evacuation; the emergency broadcast system is in place in the event that power and electricity has been cut off as well as stockpiles of food, water and medicine.
Those who live in the coastal communities will usually be battered by hurricanes. This happens between the months of June until November in the Atlantic and from May to November in the northern Pacific Ocean.
When this is first spotted on radar, the forecaster will already inform the public about it. There is no need yet to panic here since the weather conditions may change in the next few hours but if there are no improvements, it is time to activate emergency procedures.
The hurricane may pack winds exceeding more than a 100 miles per hour that can make cars, pieces of metal or wood cause severe damage to the home. Households can board up the windows and doors of the house with hurricane shutters and plywood.
People will rush to the supermarket to stock up on food, water and other essentials. These include candles, batteries for the radio and the flashlight as well as fuel for the generator.
All of these things are necessary especially water to prevent dehydration so every possible container must be used including the bathtub.
The most important which must never be forgotten is a medical kit. This should have bandages and some antibiotics to be able to treat anyone who is ill or injured until the person can be brought out to a medical facility for better treatment.
Should the incoming hurricane be classified as a category 4 or 5, residents are advised to evacuate and seek higher ground. It will be a good idea to travel light so only a few pieces of clothing, food and water must be brought into the vehicle.
The citizens are also advised to drive slowly and avoid panicking since this could cause accidents on the road.
The hurricane will pass within a few hours. This is the only time that people will be able to go out or return to see how much damage was done.
It is only after assessing the damage that towns and cities can say whether the emergency preparedness procedures that were sent in place were effective or not. One indication that it works is if no casualties are reported. This is because a house or even a building can be repaired but the life of an individual can never be replaced.
The people who live in the household can rehearse the emergency preparedness plan to see if some improvements need to be made. This is because time is off the essence in order to be safe in this type of crisis.
Emergency preparedness is key to ensure the survival of everyone present. People who live through this annually know what to do but those who are moving into the community should learn fast to be able to survive the onslaught of the hurricane.
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Here we go again and can fate play some interesting tricks on us or what? Do you rememebr Katrina? New Orleans sure does. Gustav will enter the Gulf shortly and God only knows where it will make land; however, many of the computer models has it coming ashore close to New Orleans or with a dead aim at that sity under sea level. Hey, who lives in a city BELOW sea level?
One thing is for sure and that is that even though New Orleans has the same mayor, Louisiana has a new Governor (Bobby Jindal) and he’s not going to make the mistakes of the past gov! It’s a good think he turned John McCain down for the VP slot. He could be very busy next week when the Republican Convention kicks off.
Three years after Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Louisiana coast, New Orleans residents on Wednesday again confronted the prospect of an evacuation as Tropical Storm Gustav loomed, which was once a hurricane before it slammed into the mountains of haiti, but watch that sucker grow again. A level 3 or 4 seems possible considering the environment in the Gulf.
And hello Houston! Remember Rita? Gustav is a potential for the Space City as well.
Not since Katrina struck on August 29, 2005, have residents faced a forced departure from their homes and businesses as many still struggle to rebuild their lives in a city famed for its jazz clubs and Mardi Gras festival. Storm levees broke under the onslaught of Katrina, flooding 80 percent of New Orleans and killing almost 1,500 people in the city and along the Gulf of Mexico coast. The hurricane caused $125 billion in wind and flood damage.
This dude is worth keeping your eyes on as it could come ashore anywhere from Brownsville to Destin Florida. :-(
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