January 2007
by Tim Reinhold and Richard Reynolds
The eaves of a home can expose the structure to the ravages of wind-driven rain on two fronts: when soffits are blown out during a storm, and when winds of 90 mph or greater drive water through vented soffits. Effective December 2006, the Florida Building Code requires soffit systems to be able to withstand the same design pressures that are applied to windows. This change came about in part because of a recommendation by the Institute for Business & Home Safety's consultant Eric Stafford. Here, IBHS's Tim Reinhold and Bradenton, Fla., contractor Richard Reynolds take a look at the pilot tests of soffit performance that led to the FBC change and recommend what builders can do to prevent soffit failure and water intrusion in real-world situations.
First 100 Words:
Securing Soffits Tests reveal the hidden dangers of improper soffit installation Tim Reinhold and Richard Reynolds During a storm, the eaves of a home can expose the structure to the ravages of wind-driven rain on two fronts. The most obvious danger comes when soffits are blown out during a storm, but testing shows water intrusion also occurs when winds of 90 mph or greater drive water through vented soffits. Following Hurricane Charley in 2004, some 75% of houses assessed for damage were found to have lost soffit materials. This level of damage prompted actions to address the problems in the
PDF
|
HTML
Post Comment 
Read Comments
(0)
Solving the Uplift Puzzle
Blown Away
Soundings
Backdoor: Sand Blasted
Breakline
Backdoor: Building in the Danger Zone
Advertisement |
COASTAL CONTRACTOR Online is part of the Hanley Wood network of construction-industry Web sites:
Hanley Wood, LLC. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
