I have helped build Habitat homes and there was no differentiation in the building practices. However I would welcome some proof of this. I do know that H For H build team captains are urged to attend lectures on progressive building practices.
I have been building a 4,000 sq ft roof for the last two weeks and the engineering changes since Andrew are significant.
I'm glad to hear that Pan . . . it would seem the houses to which Phoenix referred as damaged by ol' Charlie must have been built pre-Andrew . . .
Yes, the state has been unwilling to retrofit and so these roofs keep blowing away. This roof is rated at 140 MPH so in a category 5 it'd be history anyway.
PBS "broke" the story on the shoddy construction practices which made the bill for damages after Andrew so high. It's not that PBS doesn't have a good new gathering organization, its just that the networks usually dismiss their stories. But that one caught on, and pundits at all of the networks pumped up the story. I remember in particular one man on PBS who showed diagrams and demonstrated the superior strength of a roof with braced trusses, and commented that a house which can keep its roof is much more likely to remain standing.
Great news...I don't know if you heard but my brood had to slog for 24 hours...from St' Lucie to Panama City.
Thank, God, Phoenix. Glad I didn't go that route, however.
Hope my house holds.
Set, a lot of it was builder ignorance...me included, but in Miami a lot of it was greed and shall we say the payoff?
Well, i'm sure that the greed of the bottom line has the most to do with it. Braced trussing, though, has been practiced since the days of sailing vessels, and was introduced by the Dutch in the 15th century--so if builder ignorance is at fault, they've been pretty damned ignorant for a hulluva long time . . .
panzade- My area seems to have been "discovered". I live in a little town that is near ranches and orange groves. They are giving way to huge developments.
It is unbelievable at how quickly these subdivisions are springing up. I cannot imagine what kind of quality they are putting into these houses, as they are being constructed at breakneck speed.
Speed is not the key to worthiness...I used to build a house in 29 days. It's the inspectors that guarantee safe homes.
Set, bad builders will only do what's necessary...bottom line. The main problem with roofs pre Andrew was the weak anchoring system to the tie beam or frame wall. Also plywood is no longer secured with staples.
I'm guessing your house was built in 1984. OSB or pressed wood was in high demand because the tariff war with Canada was causing prices to fluctuate so much. It's not in use anymore not even on outside walls.
Goodnight, everyone. Hold good thoughts for Letty and a crew of one.
I bend all my energy to the thought of assuring the safety of my Miss Lettybettyhettygettymarycustislee . . .
Damn it, damn it, damn it! I'd have evacuated to Wisconsin if I knew this was going to happen. How horrible. Every sports bar closed and no Packer Game on television. These idiots aren't even showing the Dolphins (could at least get the occasional clip of something more important). This sucks. What kind of a Godless state is this anyway? Up until a couple years ago; I could just tell DirecTV that I live in Wisconsin, and enjoy their programming. But of course, some communistic girlyman jerkoff lobbied that was unfair to someone, somehow. Now I'm really mad. Damn it.
Ps Wishing the best of luck to Letty.
G'night, Letty, from the red clay country of your youth. Night. Johnboy.
