Several manufacturers are offering products and insight that can help remodelers protect their clients’ homes during the hurricane season.
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Michael K. Walker, a veteran remodeler in Sarasota, Fla., points out two danger signs along the horizon: permitting lag time and new wind-zone insurance requirements.
In a major windstorm, such as a hurricane or a tornado, it's the windows and doors that usually hold a house together.
Fifteen years ago, even high-end homes were unlikely to sport windows that could withstand hurricane-force winds. In 1992, Hurricane Andrew changed that and gave quick birth to an industry — an industry that today has even the attention of non-coastal residents.
Remodeling in Florida means complying with the strictest codes in the country for wind-borne debris and wind loading. Ben De Prenger of John Kiernan Construction has no worries about compliance because he installs PGT's WinGuard impact-resistant windows.
Named “Seijaku” by its designers, this project embodies this Japanese principle of quiet and stillness, in which all sense of disturbance is absent.
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Roofing contractors express skepticism, and some shingle makers seem cautious. Still, the insurance industry has charged forward promoting impact-resistant (IR) shingles to stave off hail damage.
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More than 1,000 tornadoes touch down in the United States each year, according to the Weather Channel, ripping through communities with wind speeds of up to 318 mph. Many homeowners in tornado-prone areas of the country are seeking protection by adding safe rooms and storm rooms. There are many...
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Shattered homes left in the wake of a Maryland super tornado point out both the strengths and shortcomings of modern building codes.On April 28, some of the residents of La Plata, Md., discovered the answer to that question, when a monstrous Category F4 (to F5) tornado cut a 24-mile swath through...