Episode 1638
Remodeling your home to be more resilient to storm damage
Many of our homes were built to the meet building code but rarely do they build them to exceed it. There are a lot of things you can do when you are remodeling to make your home a bit tougher and will help it hold up a lot better with natural disasters or bad weather. Here are my tips to helping build or remodel a stronger home.
Thanks for listening to Around the house if you want to hear more please subscribe so you get notified of the latest episode as it posts at https://around-the-house-with-e.captivate.fm/listen
If you want to join the Around the House Insider for access to the back catalog, Exclusive Content and a direct email to Eric G and access to the show early https://around-the-house-with-e.captivate.fm/support
We love comments and we would love reviews on how this information has helped you on your house! Thanks for listening! For more information about the show head to https://aroundthehouseonline.com/
Information given on the Around the House Show should not be considered construction or design advice for your specific project, nor is it intended to replace consulting at your home or jobsite by a building professional. The views and opinions expressed by those interviewed on the podcast are those of the guests and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the Around the House Show.
Mentioned in this episode:
A new kind of decking and siding from Millboard
For more information about the latest in decking and cladding head to https://www.millboard.com/
Baldwin Hardware
Transcript
[00:00:22] Eric Goranson: And one thing that you need to be careful with is if you have kind of that, uh, cliffside house or the house that looks down into the canyon or looks down, you know, at a. For instance, is it, you also have to remember to protect the bottom side of the deck when it's built over terrain that goes downwards and away from the house, just because that's more susceptible to wildfire when it comes to remodeling and renovating your home, there is a lot to know that we've got you covered is around the house.
[:[00:01:09] Eric Goranson: Now that we're kind of getting into storm season for us in the north and as well as people out there are still in hurricane season, I thought, let's talk today about building more resilient homes that can survive storm damage. And this isn't just for people out there building a home. Maybe you're doing a remodel.
[:[00:01:47] Eric Goranson: com and you can find all the stuff from the TV show there to the radio show podcast, all the stuff that you're hearing today, as well as a lot more information over there. Well, today, let's start talking about kind of [00:02:00] the exterior here, the home about building something more resilient, and this was something that I really started having more conversations a number of years ago, especially when I was down in Florida doing building seminars down there that I went, you know, this is such a big deal.
[:[00:02:32] Eric Goranson: And I think that's really cool in a way that, uh, you know, if you can build the house correctly to begin with, that can resist and be resilient to those, you know, environmental problems that we have, you know, if you could have a house that can hold up to 120 mile an hour wind, Versus whatever it was that building code said it was it's not a horrible idea because if your house can take it Then you don't have to file that insurance claim later And the cool thing is is you don't have the [00:03:00] damage from that you can just keep on going because well the house did great So that's where these new building construction techniques can be pretty handy And I kind of like how some of these are going and I think today let's talk about some things that can really be done around your house as you're doing remodeling If you're building a house, it's a whole other story, but there's so many great things that can be done here to really get things buttoned up.
[:[00:03:44] Eric Goranson: So if you're doing some interior renovation work where you've got drywall down and maybe you're fixing a leak, maybe you're doing something like that. It's always good to add those hangers in while you have things open because the last thing you want to do is to be one of those shows on TV where you [00:04:00] see the roof blown off a house.
[:[00:04:22] Eric Goranson: And there's a lot of different ways to keep things waterproof, but if you're doing a roof, you know, and you're going to put OSB up there, why don't you think about putting something that's already got a waterproof membrane that's already on it and where this can make a difference is if you're in an area that gets high winds.
[:[00:05:04] Eric Goranson: S. P. Extremely. So those are things that are really good by starting out with something that's built into the roof system. That's already waterproof and then if you put the right roofing system on top of it, you're looking really good. Now, if you look at roofing out there, um, there's a lot of different great roofs out there.
[:[00:05:41] Eric Goranson: And what that says is the wind warranty with no max wind speed limitation. You have to install the GAF shingles with layer lock technology plus four required GAF accessory products. Of course it has limitations on it here, but if we go down and look into the little finer details of this without getting into the weeds, it [00:06:00] says a 15 year wind proven limited wind warranty on timber lined AS2 shingles requires the use of GAF starter strips, roof deck protection, ridge cap shingles, and leak barrier or attic ventilation.
[:[00:06:29] Eric Goranson: If you have hail in your area, um, they have really good. Shingles that are made for class four impact resistance now. And so for instance, the Timberline AS2, uh, SPS modified, uh, IR shingles have the Timberline, but they've also got the UL 2218 class four impact resistance. So a lot of different companies have this, but really what you're talking about here is putting up products that are going to withstand the worst [00:07:00] case scenario in your area.
[:[00:07:20] Eric Goranson: I want to make sure that when you go. Find a roofer that you go on to that brand of roofing website. So whether or not it's going to be certainty or GAF or Owens Corning or Pabco or whatever the brand is out there, jump onto their website and make sure that your contractor that you're hiring is certified through them on the installation techniques.
[:[00:08:10] Eric Goranson: It could go on, but really the wind and the fire are our big two ones right here and ice is the other one, but really those are the two ones that can damage your house. So we want to make sure that we have those covered if you were in Florida, I'd be looking at, you know, hurricanes. If you were in, in, uh, California, I'd be talking wildfire and wind and, you know, so depending on where you're at in the country and wind, of course, in hurricane up on the east coast and some wildfire, you are not exempt to that.
[:[00:09:04] Eric Goranson: And that's always good. If you've got attic. Ventilation up there having a rock wall, for instance, in there that is not flammable. So if a spark lanes in the insulation that you're going to be better off. And so that's always good to have things that are going to be 1 pretty fireproof, you know, and there and there's nothing perfect to this.
[:[00:09:50] Eric Goranson: so hot.
[:[00:10:13] Eric Goranson: welcome back to the Round the House Show. This is where we help you get the most outta your home. through information and education. Thanks for joining us today. Well, we've been talking about building resilience and really creating that home. That is more resilient to storm damage, whether it's a firestorm or windstorm, a snowstorm, whatever.
[:[00:11:00] Eric Goranson: The next year we don't. And so how are you prepared? Because when storms, firestorms, all those things happen in nature automatically, whether we like it or not, since we can't change it, how do we make something that's going to, uh, well, um, Give us the best bang for the buck because nobody likes to have their house damaged.
[:[00:11:38] Eric Goranson: It's just a big piece of flammable material that you have to be careful of. And, you know, the other thing is, is that, you know, railings coming off in a windstorm, something like that can bust through the windows. There's glass there's there. There's a lot of things typically near a deck. So wildfire though is the biggest one out [00:12:00] there and you know, it's interesting if you deal with people in California, you will need to have You know decks that are rated for fire and that's really kind of what this conversation is about in this segment today is What can you do to make it so it's you know more resilient to that especially for us out on the west coast but even on the east coast if you had a house that caught fire next door during a windstorm and This now becomes something that is very, um, important for you.
[:[00:12:55] Eric Goranson: We're not getting into the weeds on this because that's really boring radio and podcast, but based [00:13:00] on an area's terrain, fuel type, like it's a tree, grass, that kind of stuff, um, number of days that critical fire weather occur annual, um, it's like fuel abundance. It's really kind of works with the fire hazard severity classifications of like, moderate, high and extreme.
[:[00:13:42] Eric Goranson: Class one is the most resistant, class two and class three, which is least resistant. And so, um, basically class one and class two are considered some kind of a fire resistant deck. We're three is just everything else out there. And so, um, if you deal with the [00:14:00] California state fire marshal office, they developed its own, their own requirements for wildfire zones.
[:[00:14:28] Eric Goranson: What it comes down to is the deck board flame spread. That's really what it's talking about. And so they have these different flame spread indexes. Where, you know, if you had a, uh, piece of cement, for instance, that would have a value of zero. But, um, if you had a piece of wood, like oak or something like that, it would be a value of a hundred to give you an idea.
[:[00:15:16] Eric Goranson: And so it's really interesting how they do this, uh, in California. So if you have a class C decking, for instance, in California, the fire just can burn everywhere. But a class B fire rated, you'll see a spot fire, but it's not going to spread. And so that's where these things go. So, when you see a wood deck, that is basically always going to be a Class 3 deck because of the wood.
[:[00:16:06] Eric Goranson: They're either going to use metal. They're either going to use one of the composites, um, or they're going to use some of the new stuff, which is really, uh, the, the way to do it is to build a fireproof deck, and that is really going to go with an exterior surface where you're going to use metal framing.
[:[00:16:44] Eric Goranson: You'll have the mortar. You'll have the tile. And then, of course, you're going to have. Um, a non combustible sighting out there as well with all the flashings and the flashings will be metal. And so really, that's what you're seeing a lot of is with the new metal deck systems and then tile out [00:17:00] there.
[:[00:17:23] Eric Goranson: You know, if you've got, let's say, wood posts that are holding up a metal surface up top, those wood posts now are the part that could be the big fire area. So this is where you really want to pay attention to making sure that your landscaping, which we're going to talk about in the next segment, is much more resilient and that you don't have those issues.
[:[00:18:04] Eric Goranson: And, um, you know, overhangs and things like that, uh, are other areas that if you have a fire down below. That fire can get up into the attic pretty easily. So we'll talk about that. And we come up into the next segment about what you can do landscaping wise to help yourself in the event of emergency or a storm situation.
[:[00:19:09] Eric Goranson: Welcome back to the round the house show. This is where we get the most out of your home through information and education. We've been talking about getting your house to be more resilient to natural disasters and storms and those kinds of things. And what I wanted to talk about here, I wanted to wrap up kind of something I didn't talk about that I meant to mention in the last segment, but we ran out of time.
[:[00:19:57] Eric Goranson: There's also new codes out there that are [00:20:00] requiring, mandating fire protection in these cases. So, the California Building Code does not, but there's plenty of local jurisdictions that do require it across the country. So, something to think about. So, you really have to encapsulate or enclose the bottom side of this deck with something that is fire resistant.
[:[00:20:50] Eric Goranson: If you do stud walls, which you can do that, they need to have a 1 hour fire resistant. Assembly on the exterior and, [00:21:00] for example, you could go middle studs with a type X gypsum fire rated gypsum sheathing and then cover that with fiber some inciting or cement stucco. And anyway, these are what you can do to meet that.
[:[00:21:31] Eric Goranson: So when you build that wall, for instance, you have to make sure that you have an area there that lets that water get away. So, um, and when you got to think about ventilation as well. So you do need to ventilate the space if you have walls and it's enclosed. So you can use wall vents, uh, that, you know, like we talked about earlier that keep the embers out.
[:[00:22:10] Eric Goranson: When we're sitting here talking about weather in the summer times here, many homes in like Seattle and Portland and all up and down the Western half of the West coast states. There's many homes out there that they just don't water in the summer time. And so the lawns go dormant and they go yellow or white.
[:[00:23:03] Eric Goranson: But you think about it, this is just kindling ready to go and if it's not wet at the time, you now have something that is very easily combustible and embers landing and it can be a big problem. Even a cigarette as we've seen in many homes that can land in that landscaping. You've got a problem. So these are things that we should all think about what can be done.
[:[00:23:45] Eric Goranson: So really think about that. And then making sure that when you plant things, you have nothing up against the house. I want to see bushes and shrubs a few feet away because those can dry out and catch on fire. And really keeping things [00:24:00] away from the structure that can burn or keep, you know, we've all seen our provide a hedges, get a spark and catch on fire just because of the tendency of those to have such.
[:[00:24:30] Eric Goranson: You know, fire rated fence assemblies. Um, you know, um, I've got 1 around my house on the front. That really makes a lot of sense that, um, isn't going to burn. Is it going to stop a fire? No, but embers are not going to go through it and it will reflect some of that heat. So it does help. In that, you know, it's not a foolproof method, but if I did have some kind of a fire, it would help in that situation.
[:[00:25:24] Eric Goranson: Those are things that can really make a difference. Now, fires are not the only thing. So, you know, when you're dealing with wind storms, large trees that have not been taken care of can be troublesome as well. And a lot of times, you know, sprinkler systems can be to blame with that, because what happens is if you've got.
[:[00:26:02] Eric Goranson: So the roots can chase it because the better hold that they have, the better off they are and then making sure that your trees are in good shape. If they're rotten, are you having somebody come out every few years? And take a look at those trees to make sure that they don't have rot or something inside that can really cause a problem as far as them breaking off or, um, you know, for instance, I've got trees around my house that are anywhere from 250 to 350 years old, which means they have taken on 250 to 350 years of storms.
[:[00:27:00] Eric Goranson: So take the time, have your tree company come out, take a look at your trees, make sure that they have been inspected, that they've been looked at. If you see signs of root rot, like conks growing out of the side. Of those more evergreen trees, those are things that I want you to be mindful of because the last thing I want to see you do is have a tree go karate chop across your house and cause some other issues.
[:[00:27:44] Eric Goranson: So, these are things that I really want you to be, you know, mindful of, whether it's wind, whether it's a hurricane, whether it's, you know, heavy rains, these are all things to keep in mind. When you're dealing with landscaping and then more importantly, making sure that [00:28:00] you've got that grading on the outside of the house dialed in where you don't have a flood situation, or that you've got a little bit of space to let that water drain away.
[:[00:28:28] Eric Goranson: Around the House will be right back after these important messages. Don't go anywhere.[00:29:00]
[:[00:29:19] Eric Goranson: It doesn't have to be this huge remodel in great example. And I'm going to be doing this on my house here. I've got some crawl space work to be done in my house and I am in an earthquake zone. And anytime that you're in an earthquake zone and you have an older house, you know, built before the eighties, for instance, then it's questionable how your house.
[:[00:29:58] Eric Goranson: Many times what you [00:30:00] would see is somebody would take a framing nail and jam it into the concrete and nail that down into soft concrete, but there was not a lot of bolts holding things together. What that means is you've got this heavy house that was just meant to stay there, but when the earth is moving below it, or you get a tornado or you get something like that.
[:[00:30:40] Eric Goranson: So what they do is they have a clip that's kind of, uh, you know, like an 8 or a 10 inch piece of metal that now clamps on where it will screw into that. So plate and then you use concrete anchors to drill into the concrete and fasten that in. And so that means you've now got that tied together. And [00:31:00] although it's not perfect, now you have something that is much more resilient to having an earthquake or if you had a tornado, even a hurricane, you know, I think we've all seen those houses that have been blown off their foundation and that perfectly beautiful house is laying in the middle of the street that was built in the twenties.
[:[00:31:38] Eric Goranson: Like, I've got some crawl space work to be done, I'm going to do it this winter when, when, when it's not hot, and uh, It'll be nice to be doing some projects there instead of outside in the snow or the rain, but really these are things that work really well. So make sure that you've got that kind of back there, um, you know, tied in.
[:[00:32:24] Eric Goranson: So everything that is attached to the ground needs to have metal bracketry up there. So if you've got a mean beam going down the middle with like a post or two going into the basement, those need to be bracketed to the ground. Bracketed to the beam, the post to the beam, the beam to the floor joist, the floor joist up.
[:[00:32:58] Eric Goranson: So all of those framing [00:33:00] pieces need to be tied together in one system. So making sure you got that is important and make sure when in doubt, hire an engineer to come up and do some drawings for you. And they'll tell you exactly what brackets where they should be located. And generally speaking, you like to put those brackets about four feet apart when you're attaching that to the foundation.
[:[00:33:40] Eric Goranson: Or at least a backup generator, which we'll talk about next hour. But how prepared are you in the event? Of power outage, are you depending on that some pump to run 24 7 if you're in a hurricane, or is that basement going to be flooded? So making sure that you have the right backups, you know, for instance, 1 week point [00:34:00] for people is that they have the, you know, okay, my power is going to go out.
[:[00:34:34] Eric Goranson: So little things like that can make a really big difference. You know, uh, we're going to have an interview coming up here later. Uh, in a week or two that we'll be talking with, uh, Comcast Xfinity about their storm ready wifi. And so with Xfinity, they just came out with a new service, for instance. That when the, when the wifi goes down or your power goes out, that it switches your home internet over to, um, you know, a 5g [00:35:00] network like you would see with AT& T or Verizon or T Mobile.
[:[00:35:29] Eric Goranson: Your, um, it can cause problems with your heating and cooling. And depending on how smart your home can be, those can cause issues. Now, one thing that you do have to keep in mind though, is that, you know, especially in my neighborhood where we don't have a lot of towers, that what can happen is, is when the, um, wifi goes down, everybody goes over to their phones and, uh, that system can be overloaded.
[:[00:36:18] Eric Goranson: And so either means that you're not going to get text out. You'll go to send a text. It'll try sending. It won't go. It's kind of like when you go to a football game, concert, rock show, whatever. And everybody's trying to upload pictures at the same time. Things get really slow, really quick. The same thing happens when you're doing that.
[:[00:36:53] Eric Goranson: Please make sure that you've got enough water, enough food, enough provisions, enough life [00:37:00] sustaining stuff. For a couple weeks, because really, in the event of a natural disaster, we see this across the country, it's really easy to take a week for them to get stuff into your area, especially if it's been a big one with bridges down with things flooded.
[:[00:37:47] Eric Goranson: So it's something to think about. That as you're replacing windows, it does cost you more, but it might not be a bad idea to change over to that in certain areas, especially if you've got like a big picture window or [00:38:00] something like that, replacing that stuff and then putting in garage doors that are stronger and things like that can really make a difference when it comes to your house.
[:[00:38:51] Eric Goranson: So if you have That fire area where you're like, wow, I am in a dangerous fire zone. There are systems that you can install out there [00:39:00] that will turn on that takes pumps and you need to have water storage and they're pretty big, but you can have it where they put up a curtain of water and that's going to really reduce the chance of wildfire.
[: