Click To Watch Windstorm® In Florida's 140mph Hurricane Building Code Zones

The New Florida Building Code and Residential Home Construction In High-Wind Areas

With Florida’s threat of hurricanes due to its southern coastal location and weather patterns, the state of Florida has issued new building code revisions that were instated with hurricane resistance in mind. These new building codes greatly enhance a homes ability to withstand extremely high winds, hurricanes, cyclones and even tornado’s.

In 2001, a document called the “Florida Building Code® 2001 was published, and since 2002, Florida has required that all new homes be built according to its stricter building code, which was implemented largely to minimize or avoid damage to residential structures in the event of a hurricane. The code has been upgraded and revised since then, notably with the “Florida Building Code 2004” document, the “Florida 2005 Supplement” to the building code, and more recently, the “2007 Building Revisions to the 2004 Florida Building Code” and “2007 Residential Revisions to the 2004 Florida Building Code”. Additions in 2009 and 2010 also contribute to the effort.

The new Florida building code, which calls for stricter than usual standards regarding crucial building safety elements, has indeed minimized damage as analyzed after hurricanes Charley, Frances, Jean and Ivan. All of these hurricanes occurred after the new code was put into place, and homes built under the new code fared far better than homes which were built under older codes and not weatherized or otherwise renovated to meet the newer standards.

Hurricane building codes do come with a higher cost of construction, but, it should be noted that Windstorm® oriented strand board sheathing can help builders meet hurricane building codes and reduce the need for threaded bolts, blocking, filler strips, and stud to plate connectors – typically allowing for savings of up to $1000.00 or more in construction, material, labor and waste costs per house over more traditional hurricane construction methods. The use of Windstorm does not require a Florida product Code approval number.