The year 2017 saw its fair share of natural disasters, like Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, that left homes damaged or in some cases destroyed. The year accounted for the most expensive hurricane season on record, as hurricanes Harvey, Nate, Irma, and Maria racked up more than $200 billion in damages, according to Bloomberg.
To limit damage from these unpredictable storms, Remodeling writer Sean Wallisch presents a number of new products designed for resilience.Below are just a few. Continue to Remodeling to see the full list.
NanaWall Systems unveiled its SL73 folding glass wall system. The firm says it is one of the industry’s toughest hurricane-resistant folding systems and is designed to “meet and exceed” Miami-Dade AAMA (American Architectural Manufacturer’s Association) certification requirements. The SL73 is tested to prevent water, wind, and debris from entering the building up to 15 stories.
Boise Cascade’s AJS 24 FMJ I-Joist features a foil-faced insulation board, which the firm says is a critical component for passing the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) E119 fire test required to establish equivalency to dimensional-lumber joists. The joists have also been tested independently and meet International Code CouncilEvaluation Service (ICC-ES) acceptance criteria for fire protection of residential floors. Boise says the joists arrive ready for installation on the jobsite and are designed without a specific top or bottom orientation to help assure correct framing.
Sierra Pacific is releasing a host of resilient products in 2018. New this year will be the FeelSafe BiFold Door (available spring 2018), FeelSafe Push Out Casement (available later this year), and the FeelSafe Aspen Casement (in development). Sierra Pacific says each product will be impact-resistant and able to withstand Zone III or IV hurricane-force wind and water damage. The company’s H3 FeelSafe platform, which also includes Double Hung Windows, uses its patented Fusion Technology. Sierra Pacific says this integrates extruded aluminum, vinyl, and solid wood, which results in improved energy efficiency and performance.
DaVinci Roofscapes says its composite roofing tiles outperform both natural slate and cedar shakes when it comes to resiliency. The firm says its tiles have a Class A Fire Rating, Class 4 Impact Rating, and a 110-mph wind rating. The tiles are one inch thick and 12 inches wide and seek to provide an authentic replica of real cedar shakes. The company says composite tiles are more resistant than wood to cracking, fading, mold, algae, fungus, insects, salt air, and sea spray. DaVinci says they can be installed in HVHZ zones requiring minimum wind velocity (three-second gust) of 150 mph.
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