December 28, 2023
The hurricane season is quite notoriously known to be an annual threat to the US. If you live in a coastal area, you will know that hurricanes have been responsible for millions of deaths and caused billions of worth of property damage. Hence, you will find that metal and steel are some of the most common building materials in these areas due to their hurricane-resistant properties.
Overall, the hurricane season around the Atlantic region has already started in June 2021. Based on the predictions offered by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC), most of the 14 known storms and 7 hurricanes will be Category 3+ hurricanes.
As you can understand from the above, several states in the US face a fair share of hurricanes in a year. Hence, you must design a building that can stand against the might of severe storms and cyclones and decrease the risk to lives and property.
The material you choose (in this case, steel or metal) will make up the greatest part of your home that you should highly prioritize to offer the best protection against hurricanes. In addition, metal buildings made of high-quality and strong materials have a greater ability to withstand heavy rain and winds than those built with brick or wood.
When constructing a building in a hurricane-prone area, the structure’s shape plays an important part in determining how well it will hold up against high-speed winds. Simple, symmetrical, and compact shapes are considered the best choices. For instance, octagonal, hexagonal, and circular structures will hold up better than square-shaped buildings.
The framing of the building will be another important factor that you will have to consider. There are two important reasons why steel framing is considered the best choice. First, it has the strongest strength-to-weight ratio of any type of building material. The second reason is that steel framing is much better at resisting the lifting of the wind force than other types of materials, like wood.
Apart from shredding buildings, hurricanes are also known to shred other objects like cars, signboards, and trees. These small pieces and debris become very dangerous projectiles and can breach your home if hit with incredible force. In such cases, you should use steel as the skin of hurricane-safe buildings as they are the most impact-resistant exterior material available.
Shutters, roof lights, and other openings are all considered vulnerable, weak points against a hurricane. Broken glass can easily cause various injuries, and the penetrated wind force can disturb the pressure inside the home. As a result, it could lead to damage and possible collapse. Therefore, you should keep the number of these openings to a minimum to
mitigate risk.
Of course, you cannot have a home without windows or doors. Therefore, you must invest in doors and windows that are resistant to the impacts of the hurricane. You will see specialized windows and doors specifically made for hurricane-resistant prefab metal buildings and garages.
By definition, retrofitting is the process of adding new features or technology to existing systems. In this case, retrofit kits for hurricane buildings are bundled sets of hardware that you can use to improve the construction and reinforce the steel building.
Rooftop construction can vary greatly from project to project. One of the most important aspects of installing a steel building in a hurricane-prone area is to anchor them to the building. When installing different types of anchoring systems, it is important to note the integrity of the roof and any associated warranties as well.
When it comes to the roof trusses, you cannot anchor them to the hurricane tie straps. When looking for hurricane straps, you will find two variants, one that you can anchor to the wall while you can only anchor the other to the trusses and wall. For more security, the former is the better option. Straps are great choices for resisting the upward force of strong winds.
One of the reasons why roofs come off during hurricanes is because gable ends of metal roofs can be blown away by strong winds. Therefore, bracing for the gable end is a retrofit you need, especially if you have roofing made of materials like metal or timber. In these cases, it is always better to consult the expertise of a roofing specialist that will determine the right type of retrofit for you.
If you want to anchor the metal roof to your walls, you will need a roof-to-wall connection. There are many types of retrofits that you can use. Anchor bolts are considered the strongest choices. However, the choice you make will also depend on the type of the wall and the roof.
You can easily retrofit roof decks with fasteners. However, the roof deck can get sucked out of the rafters and trusses when high and strong winds create negative air pressure. There are many types of rock deck attachments like 9D nails, staples, screws, etc., that you can use.
Building codes are very important as it helps you understand more about the structural requirements that are needed to withstand strong hurricanes. These codes are changed and
revised so that any structures built under the new codes do not get damaged and there is no
loss of life.
Overall, steel buildings are the best choices for new structures if you live in a hurricane-prone area. So if you are looking for the best retrofit kits, Garage Buildings is the best choice for you. They are a premium dealer of high-quality metal buildings that they proudly provide in America.
You will not be disappointed by the quality of the materials. Get in touch with Garage Buildings today at +1 (888) 234-0475, and their trusted and experienced design consultants will guide you through every step of the construction process. With their metal building expertise and rapid delivery, you can have your new hurricane-resistant structure in no time at all!
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