The Hurricane Proof House - Real Estate - Building a Home

If you live in a coastal region, you probably are familiar with the terrible damage and dangers that hurricanes bring. But living near the sea is a pleasure and a privilege and most people don't want to give that up. Of course, they also don't want to lose their homes to a hurricane's mighty force. The solution is to build a hurricane proof house, one that safely shelters you with walls that withstand a hurricane's mighty winds and the impact of wind-driven debris. Using a form of construction called insulating concrete forms (ICF), engineers at the University of Florida recently built a house that withstood winds of 140 miles per hour. The director of the University's Research and Education Center said that this showed it was possible to build a house that could withstand "a category 4 or 5 hurricane with little or no damage." IFC blocks, which also provide excellent insulation, form permanent cast-in-place concrete walls.

There are other elements, in addition to IFC construction, that help make structures hurricane proof or hurricane resistant. An excellent roofing system is needed to withstand high winds and torrential rains. Strong windows are necessary to maintain the integrity of the structure. If windows break, the house becomes completely vulnerable. Find out more about how hurricane proof house plans address roofing issues and windows here.

Wind-driven debris during a hurricane is often the greatest danger to safety that homeowners face. And that is the beauty of IFC construction--it provides superior protection compared to traditional wood frame construction. Tests were recently conducted at Texas Tech University that pitted concrete wall construction such as IFC against wood frame walls. Creating tornado-like winds of 250 miles per hour (higher than Category 5 hurricane winds), the concrete wall systems were able to resist the impact of wind-driven debris, while the wood frame constructed walls were breached by the flying debris. And speaking of tornadoes, which often occur when hurricanes reach landfall, you can learn more about building a tornado proof home at /tornado-proof-home.html.

A hurricane also brings with it flooding and storm surges. For the best protection, a house should be built at a reasonable height above sea level and the flood plain of the property should be carefully analyzed. Elevating the foundation may be necessary. Another advantage of IFC construction is that flooding won't damage concrete the way it does wood. Learn more about ICF homes and their construction at /icf-homes.html.

At there's more valuable information about house planning and design, and energy efficient home building. Copyright Notice: You may freely republish this article, provided the text, author credit, the active links, and this copyright notice remain intact.

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