What is Wind Mitigation?
Wind mitigation is the process of adding certain features to your home that help withstand or
increase resistance to high winds which can be caused by a major storm or hurricane.
Why Do Florida Homeowners Need It?
Savings
Homeowners may receive substantial insurance discounts for outfitting their homes with windstorm mitigation features that withstand or are hurricane resistant. According to the Florida Division of Emergency Management, 15% - 70% of home insurance premiums in Florida can be attributed to wind-damage risk. While there is an upfront cost involved, outfitting your home with wind mitigation features can result in significant long-term savings.
Safety
In addition to saving you money, mitigating your home against severe weather can also protect your family in the event of a major storm. Installing hurricane shutters on your windows or hurricane straps on your roof reduces the risk of flying debris penetrating your home and putting your family in danger.
Wind Mitigation Techniques
Water Barriers
Seal your roof deck, or the layer in between the primary structure and the insulating layer of your roof, to prevent water intrusion that may otherwise occur if roof shingles blow away in the extreme wind or from flying debris. This also provides an extra layer of insulation, making your home more energy efficient.
Roof to Foundation Connections
Reinforce your home’s walls to the roof and foundation to establish a continuous load path. This enables the outer structure of your home to resist strong winds.
Window and Door Coverings
There are several options available to help protect windows and other openings from the impact of strong wind and flying debris. Popular options include shatterproof windows and storm shutters. Hurricane-rated doors are recommended, especially for garage doors with large openings. Additional bracing can also be installed on existing garage doors.
Conducting Wind Mitigation Inspections
Generally, a wind mitigation inspection is needed to determine which credits apply to a home. We use the standard 1802 Uniform Windstorm Mitigation form which lists 7 items we check for. During a wind mitigation inspection, we will look for several key features and add-on's that can help reduce the amount of damage your home may incur in the event of a hurricane or strong windstorm and your homes ability to withstand roof uplift during a storm. This includes, opening protection, roof, nails, nail spacing and type of roof to wall connections for example. The inspection will typically take about 30 minutes or so and we will need access to all sides of the property, the windows and doors, garage and the attic.
NOTE: Payment of the fee(s) for a wind mitigation and or 4-point is for the purpose of documenting the current conditions as required for the insurance forms only. It is not a guarantee of insurability or lowered premiums. Those determinations are made by the insurance carriers alone. The inspector does not and cannot by law, add, remove, change or otherwise falsify information on any insurance forms. Any disparity in the expectations of fees or premiums should be addressed directly with your insurance agent and or Insurance carrier for clarification.
For more information on Wind Mitigation or to schedule your inspection please call 561-400-0394
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