levels of
fortified certifications
Fortified Roof
Formerly known as “Bronze”, achieving a FORTIFIED Roof designation indicates the home has been built or retrofitted to minimize roof damage, attic water intrusion, and associated property damage, disruption and loss in areas affected by Category 1 or weak Category 2 hurricane winds. Roof cover damage and water intrusion into the attic with subsequent collapse of ceilings can also be a significant issue for newer homes built to higher structural standards, particularly if they have aging asphalt shingle roofs or lose part of their roof cover.
This risk reduction is accomplished by:
- Improving roof sheathing attachment.
- Providing a sealed roof deck.
- Reducing chances of attic ventilation system failure.
a. Roof vents (ridge and off-ridge vents)
b. Gable end wall vents
fortified silver
Achieving a FORTIFIED Silver designation indicates the home has been built or retrofitted to minimize roof damage and water intrusion into the attic, plus damage from broken windows and failures of doors, weak gable ends, and poorly anchored attached structures such as porch or carport roofs. As wind speeds increase due to storm strength in Category 2 or weak Category 3 levels, failures of these elements become more frequent and their failure can open up the home to wind, wind pressure, and significant water entry. Wind pressure increases resulting from the failure of windows and doors can significantly increase (in some cases doubling) the wind forces working to blow the roof off or blow out exterior walls.
This risk reduction is accomplished by completing all of the FORTIFIED Roof designation requirements plus:
- Protecting all openings
a. Glazed openings (windows, glazed entry doors, skylights, glass block)
b. Entry doors
c. Garage doors - Strengthening gable ends
a. Laterally bracing all gable ends greater than 4 ft tall
b. Improving the uplift resistance of long gable end overhangs
c. Ensuring that gable end sheathing provides, at a minimum, the resistance to
wind pressures and debris impact provided by 7/16-in.-thick OSB wood structural panels attached to wood wall framing - Improving the anchorage of attached structures (porches and carports)
- Strengthening long vinyl and aluminum soffits
fortified gold
Achieving a FORTIFIED Gold designation indicates the home has been built or retrofitted to minimize damage from a Category 3 hurricane. This risk reduction is accomplished by completing all FORTIFIED Roof and FORTIFIED Silver designation requirements plus:
- Providing continuous load path connections between roof support members and bearing walls, between bearing and shear walls above and below intermediate floors of multistory homes, and between bottom floor bearing and shear walls down to the foundation.
- Adequately securing chimneys to the structure.
- Ensuring that windows and doors meet appropriate design pressures in addition to being protected from windborne debris.
- Ensuring that exterior walls are constructed using a wall system that provides, at a minimum, the resistance to wind pressures and debris impact provided by 7/16-in.-thick OSB wood structural panels attached to wood wall framing.
get fortified
Call us today to discuss how we can help get your home FORTIFIED