"Raphael" wrote in message
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"Eisboch" wrote in message
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wrote in message
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On Sep 19, 10:00 pm, JimH wrote:


What an idiot. In the first place, structures aren't "rated" for a
particular wind speed.

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Really?

I was under the impression that building codes, particularly in Florida,
have specific requirements on wind speed ratings.
Newer codes are higher than those of 20 years ago.

I know that when we decided to add an aluminum framed, screen enclousure
on the pool we had beside the Florida house, we ran into a bee's nest of
permitting regulations and requirements. In order to have any part of
the enclousure attach to any part of the house or deck, we were required
to get a professional structural engineer, certified in Florida, to
approve it, including modifications required to ensure that the method of
construction and attachment met current codes. The criteria was wind
speed, and I believe at the time it was 150 mph. This was in addition
to having the screen enclousure frame itself to be designed to 150 mph
wind.

They didn't care about the screening .... in fact it is designed to blow
out at a certain wind speed, reducing the sail effect on the aluminum
frame.

Eisboch


There was a statewide building code enacted in 2001 I think. In it there
were a lot of more stringent specs on windows, doors,shingles,truss
tiedowns ect. Pool screens had enhanced specs written too. Countys could
make any of those specs more stringent to suit their needs. Most of the
hurricane damage you see nowadays is to older homes (pre 2001) and to
mobile/manufactured homes .
Did your double doors open in as you would normally expect, or did they
open outward? Mine open outward and someone said to me that's part of the
new codes. I didn't bother to verify that.


That was the problem. If you recall, the main front doors opened inward.
All the rest of the double doors (there were two downstairs and one off the
master bedroom upstairs) opened outward. The wind blew the front doors
open, inward and the whole house then became a whirlwind, blowing the other
doors open outward. I think that house was built in 1998 or thereabouts.

Anyway, the repairs included a new, double door entry that opened outward.

That damage was cause by the first of the three hurricanes that year.
Wilma, the last and worst in terms of wind, caused very little damage,
mainly because previous damage had been fixed to new code standards.

I am still amazed that all those floor to ceiling windows in the main living
room held. I still think it was because we had window tinting film on them.

Eisboch