Fortified Homes

Good morning again! I want to take the time to say that I sincerely hope that everyone is okay after the hurricane this past Sunday. Our thoughts and prayers are with those who have been affected, and we would like to extend our concerns to each and everyone who has received some sort of damage from the storm.

With that being said, I would like to say that my family had some damage to our backyard fencing. The winds knocked down a whole section and offset another portion of our fence. The picture below shows what we used to replace the wood fence for the time being. We have dogs so we had to put up something quickly so they would not run off during the day.

Other than this minor issue, we have not received any further damage to our home and we sincerely hope that you all are even better off than we are.

So, this hurricane got me thinking about something that would be very useful if a more powerful storm were to come through our area. So this morning I want to briefly talk about Fortified Homes.

Fortified Homes consist of a set of design/building standards that are intended to help strengthen new and existing homes through upgrades on building systems and code requirements in order to reduce damage intake from natural disasters such as hurricanes, tropical storms, and hailstorms. Each fortified home falls under one of three classifications: bronze, silver, and gold.

The bronze level covers the roof system. Upgrades in the home will reduce wind and water entering the attic through the roof covering and vents.

The silver level addresses the same things covered by the bronze level, plus the exterior openings in the building (including windows and doors) and attached structures.

The gold level covers both the bronze and silver levels and then ties the house together by connecting the roof to the walls, and the walls to the floors, and the floors to the foundation, so it all acts as one system.

However, the process of incorporating this level of construction has some additional costs associated with it. For instance, the additional labor, materials, and equipment used tack on some extra costs; but also Fortified Homes will require a special approval from a certified engineer in order for the plans to be acceptable. This approval stamp can run upwards of $500. However, the upgrade on your home could be very well worth it in the future!

Copeland Custom Homes provides new construction and renovations for all three levels of Fortified Home construction. Be sure to reach out to us if you would like to renovate your home or build a new house with these upgrades!

Once again, we hope that you all are safe and will continue to be safe the rest of the year. Hopefully we will not have to experience another hurricane for a while. God bless you all.

“We are not just your builders, we are your neighbors!”