Fortifying Coastal Homes

Heather McCune, Editor in Chief
October 1, 2002
Professional Builder

Buyers considering a coastal home have one question: Can this house survive most hurricanes and other weather events? At Security Building Group's latest luxury townhome project on Topsail Island, N.C., SBG partner Dave Pfanmiller answers with confidence, "Not only will your house be standing season after season, but you will save money along the way."

Built entirely with cast-in-place, removable concrete, the six two-story units are also "fortified ... for safer living." Through a partnership with the nonprofit Institute for Business & Home Safety, SBG has added features to each unit to reduce the damage risk from natural disasters:

• Reinforced, continuous piles elevate the home and critical utilities at least 2 feet above the base floor elevation, and ground-level walls and stairs can break away from the main structure.
• A connection from the peak of the roof to the foot of the reinforced piles forms a continuous load path that can withstand 130-mph winds.
• Windows, doors and other openings are protected by products tested to withstand the impact of windborne debris without penetration of wind and water.
• The engineered roof truss system has a 110-mph wind-rated covering and a secondary moisture barrier, plus twice the required underlayment and a thicker plywood deck sheathing with a stronger holding nail and nail pattern.