Nuts and Bolts: New Construction Features that Prepare a Home for Hurricane Season

Living in Florida has its perks – the beach is always accessible, Walt Disney World is in our backyard and the sun is always shining (at least most of the time.) But, with hurricane season upon us, we must be cautious about our home and the features in place to protect us from these dangerous storms. 

New construction homes are a great option against storms as they are built to stricter hurricane codes than older homes. 

Features like hurricane tie-downs, Huber Zip System wall sheathing and wind-resistant windows and doors are built into new homes. These features will not only protect your home from toppling over during a hurricane but it will also keep your family safe throughout the entire hurricane season.

High-Performance Solutions to Protect Against Strong Winds 

New construction builders utilize hurricane tie-downs on homes that essentially tie or hold a home to the ground. 

Hurricane tie-downs attach a series of structural hardware to the foundation of the home and they run through the walls, into the roof system and onto the roof deck. These innovative tools will prevent a home from blowing away in the event of strong winds from a hurricane. 

Decorative pieces, shingles and siding aren’t fully protected with this hurricane tie-down system but overall they will protect the actual structure from winds up to 130 miles per hour. 

The Huber Zip System

One feature Dostie Homes uses that sets us apart from the competition is the Huber Zip System wall sheathing. This system is an air and moisture barrier combined, meaning it will keep rain and moisture out better than most traditional house wraps. 

Florida’s climate is naturally moist and it’s not just from rain. There is moisture in the air in the form of humidity that can damage a structure that isn’t properly protected. In Jacksonville Florida, the average annual humidity levels are around 75%. Just like standing water from flooding can cause damage, high humidity rates, especially in Florida, will damage an unprotected structure, gradually over time.  The Zip System is an excellent feature to have on your home year-round, to protect against Florida’s moist climate, not just against hurricanes. 

The Zip System not only protects your home from air, moisture and water, it also adds enhanced structural durability by placing innovative engineered wood paneling creating a dependable base for your home.  

By utilizing the Zip System, a newly constructed home stands a better chance of keeping wind-driven rain out of the wall cavities, which will protect your home as it ages. 

Wind-Resistant Windows and Doors 

Windows and doors offer a significant opportunity for combined wind and water damage in hurricanes. 

Without proper wind-resistant glass and structurally sound doors, a broken window or busted door provides a point of entry for wind, which will increase pressure, and the wind must seek another way out. The only solution to protecting a home is preventative measures during construction with the installation of wind-resistant windows and doors. 

Dostie Homes installs wind-resistant windows and doors that will protect a home and withstand winds up to 130 miles per hour. 

Community Drainage Systems 

Hurricanes tend to bring excess amounts of water, which can be dangerous and damage a home if a proper drainage system isn’t in place. 

Dostie Homes only builds in areas and communities where drainage plans are in place.  With other hurricane features installed during construction and water is properly shedding from the structure during a storm, the drainage system will ensure the homes aren’t damaged or see major effects from the excess amounts of water. 

Proper grading and elevation combined with sophisticated drainage systems developed in these communities will boast an adequate infrastructure to handle the watershed that may come from a strong storm. 

An Effective Construction Hurricane Preparedness Plan 

When building a home in Florida, especially during hurricane season, you will want to select a builder with a construction hurricane preparedness plan. 

With 60 years of experience, Dostie Homes has developed a well thought out, multi-phase plan that prepares an active construction site for a storm. By addressing simple things like ensuring dumpsters are removed, emptied, or secured and the site is cleared of loose debris, damage can be easily avoided. 

In the event of a larger named storm that is threatening a direct hit, the plan calls for the disconnection of water, power and gas services to reduce the potential for other disasters.