The House built for a Cat 5 storm

[zlaxier]

http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/14997868.htm

HURRICANE SEASON

House ready for the big one

A Coral Gables man has invested in a hurricaneresistant home -- and he doesn't plan to pay for windstorm insurance.

BY ANDRES VIGLUCCI
aviglucci@MiamiHerald.com
Is there such a thing as a hurricane-proof house? Maybe not, but Edward Boza wants to find out how close you can get.

When Hurricane Andrew tore the plywood off his roof, soaking his custom-built home's interior and turning the Sheetrock walls to ''mush,'' Boza promised himself: never again.

Fourteen years later, Boza is making good on his vow.

He and his wife, Kathryn, have just built an elegant two-story home in Coral Gables that also happens to be hardened against hurricanes. Extremely so.

It's so solid, Gables building officials say, that it should ride out a Category 5 storm pretty much unscathed.

So confident is Boza that he's going bare -- no windstorm insurance.

It's nothing radical: The 2,500-square-foot house is made of solid concrete. Inside and out. The foundation, the second floor, the roof, even the interior walls are all blocked or poured and reinforced concrete. The poured-concrete window lintels are extra thick; the glass in the windows and French doors is the highest-rated impact-resistant glazing available.

''It's an experiment, an idea on a small scale,'' Boza, a real estate broker, said while showing visitors the almost-finished house, which he hopes will inspire imitators. ``All these hurricane scares we've had recently, I think that can be minimized. I'm sure we'll feel safe here.''

Indeed. Longtime Gables and Miami-Dade County building officials say they can't recall another house quite like it.

Gables structural engineers jokingly dubbed it ``the bunker.''

''Most people have one safe room they build for hurricanes,'' said Margaret Pass, the Gables' building and zoning director for 20 years. ``His whole house is totally fortified.''

It hardly looks like a fortification. The classically inspired house, designed by Gables architect Amaro Taquechel, fits in nicely with its neighbor across Cotorro Avenue, the city's historic French City Village. In fact, the house betrays not a sign of its hyper-solid construction unless you happen to rap on an inside wall.

Its only vulnerability: the decorative pitched and tiled roof Boza had to install atop the flat concrete roof to meet Gables architectural codes.

Aside from that, Boza said, the famously picky Gables building and zoning inspectors and officials were enthusiastically on board.

Concrete roofs and exterior shells are hardly a new idea. They are common in Cuba, Puerto Rico and the rest of the Caribbean.

But they remain a relative rarity in South Florida, where the cheaper wood-truss roof has been standard for as long as anyone can remember. Properly constructed, a wood-truss roof can stand up to a strong storm.

Concrete roofs like Boza's, however, are stronger, said Charles Danger, Miami-Dade's building chief.

''He's building the way things should be done,'' Danger said.

``I wish the building industry would start to change, but I'm not holding my breath. You would need a complete change of culture.''

Some custom builders have begun installing concrete roofs, mostly in highly exposed areas like Key Biscayne and the Florida Keys, said structural engineer Eugenio Santiago.

But Santiago, Key Biscayne's building chief, said Boza may have gone overboard in making his interior walls of concrete -- an unnecessary expense since the home's shell is unlikely to be penetrated, he said.

Boza estimates the house cost him $250 per square foot to build, or more than $600,000. That's about twice the average cost of home construction in the county, Danger said.

But Boza said that includes high-end finishes and appliances -- marble floors, solid-wood interior doors and custom cabinetry. He believes homes as solid as his can be built for less, especially if home builders get into the act. There are potentially huge savings in insurance costs for homeowners as well, he said.

''If you replicate it, I think it becomes cheaper,'' he said.

Boza said he was willing to go to these lengths for peace of mind. The concrete walls support the weight of the roof and second floor. Boza and his wife have been living in a town house, but with their children grown and gone, he decided it was time to do what he had long been thinking about. The house took two years to plan and construct. All that remains to be done are some moldings.

He and his wife plan to move in just in time for peak hurricane season.

[bvigal]

Good for him! It's a great idea if you can afford it.

Down here, where concrete is cheaper than wood, they've begun putting plywood with metal roofs on, despite the proven durability of concrete roofs. The big problem with flat concrete roofs is holding water, causing leaks, mosquito breeding, mold, etc. If they'd just pitch them a tiny bit to drain quickly, they would be perfect!

[Jim Cantore]

two words

Dome Home

[SouthFloridawx]

Ok that's dumb not to get some kind of coverage.

[Alladin]

If State Farm gets their rate increase this year (most likely 120%), you may not be able to afford windstorm coverage.. I own my house free and clear with no mortgage, so I don't have to insure it. Heck, with the big hurricane deductibles in Florida, windstorm coverage is not very attractive.

I haven't excluded windstorm coverage from my policy yet. However, if State Farm continues with their exorbitant rate increases, I will cancel windstorm coverage or perhaps just go self insured.

So, I don't think this guy is dumb at all.

[HurriCat]

Yep - we all have paid-for houses and can just pull out loads of money from SOMEPLACE when the storm blows us apart. It's just pitiful that the insurance companies are saying "Waa! If we have to PAY, then we're taking our ball and going home". The alternative that some of them are pulling is to just jack the rates up so high that they can then grudgingly do what they are in business to do - how about that - and still pile up huge profits. Yay!

[Alladin]

Yep - we all have paid-for houses and can just pull out loads of money from SOMEPLACE when the storm blows us apart. It's just pitiful that the insurance companies are saying "Waa! If we have to PAY, then we're taking our ball and going home". The alternative that some of them are pulling is to just jack the rates up so high that they can then grudgingly do what they are in business to do - how about that - and still pile up huge profits. Yay!

If you have insurance and your house is damaged by a hurricane, you must file a claim and seek repair funds from your insurance company first. However, even if you have insurance, you're still eligible for assistance from FEMA and low interest loans from the SBA (Small Business Administration). The only criteria is that your house must be located in a declared disaster area.

After Ivan, the SBA wanted to give me a fixed rate loan of $63,000 for 30 years at 3.34%. And that was after my insurance claim had been settled. So, there's plenty of money out there if you know where to look. Any money at a 3.34% fixed interest rate it like gold!

[DanKellFla]

"However, even if you have insurance, you're still eligible for assistance from FEMA and low interest loans from the SBA (Small Business Administration). The only criteria is that your house must be located in a declared disaster area."

I received a little assitance from FEMA after Frances. A loan is OK, but why settle for that? Why should the government bail out the insurance industry? We bought a product that was advertised to perform in a certain way. I am not looking for free money or a great loan, just for my insurance to do what it is supposed to do. If it did, the private adjuster industry wouldn't work.

[timNms]

Yep - we all have paid-for houses and can just pull out loads of money from SOMEPLACE when the storm blows us apart. It's just pitiful that the insurance companies are saying "Waa! If we have to PAY, then we're taking our ball and going home". The alternative that some of them are pulling is to just jack the rates up so high that they can then grudgingly do what they are in business to do - how about that - and still pile up huge profits. Yay!

If you have insurance and your house is damaged by a hurricane, you must file a claim and seek repair funds from your insurance company first. However, even if you have insurance, you're still eligible for assistance from FEMA and low interest loans from the SBA (Small Business Administration). The only criteria is that your house must be located in a declared disaster area.

After Ivan, the SBA wanted to give me a fixed rate loan of $63,000 for 30 years at 3.34%. And that was after my insurance claim had been settled. So, there's plenty of money out there if you know where to look. Any money at a 3.34% fixed interest rate it like gold!

Are you talking about the same FEMA that my family and I applied to for assistance after Katrina? We were turned down. The words out of the mouth of the person I spoke with on the phone was "If you have insurance, you are not eligible for FEMA assistance". I was not too happy about asking for help, but Katrina put me out of work for 3 weeks. Plus, we had extra expenses (gas for a generator that we finally got after 5 days, ice, water, supplies, etc. I KNOW, We should have been prepared...but hey, who'd a thought we'd be out of power 2 weeks and without gas for a week 100 miles inland???)

[Alladin]

I got a "Blue Roof" from FEMA that was put on by a subcontractor from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (ACE). After Ivan, there was so much roof damage that there were not enough roof contractors nor supplies (shingles, tar paper, roofing nails, roofing cement, etc.) to handle all the work. I was fortunate because I all ready had tarps and supplies in storage to protect my roof.

It took two months before we got our "Blue Roof" and another two months went by before we got a roofing contractor signed up to reroof the house. We were lucky because most people had to wait much longer. Heck, we got a roofing contractor signed up before our insurance adjustor showed up! As usual, the adjustor tried to "low ball" our claim. I just ignored her paper work and resubmitted my claim.

I have found with insurance companies that as long as you have a good receipt trail, they'll pay. I ignore their advice and just get the work done up front and submit the bill to them later. It's always worked for me. I agree with you DanKellFla, Citizens insurance is out of control. I don't like the idea of Citizens being the insurer of last resort in Florida.

Are you talking about the same FEMA that my family and I applied to for assistance after Katrina? We were turned down. The words out of the mouth of the person I spoke with on the phone was "If you have insurance, you are not eligible for FEMA assistance". I was not too happy about asking for help, but Katrina put me out of work for 3 weeks. Plus, we had extra expenses (gas for a generator that we finally got after 5 days, ice, water, supplies, etc. I KNOW, We should have been prepared...but hey, who'd a thought we'd be out of power 2 weeks and without gas for a week 100 miles inland???)

You were misinformed by FEMA. Covington County was declared a disaster area and you were eligible for FEMA help, assuming you met the criteria of the law.

FEMA'S Individuals And Households Program Provides Full Spectrum Of Recovery Assistance
Release Date: September 4, 2005
Release Number: 1604-003

» More Information on Mississippi Hurricane Katrina


JACKSON, Miss. -- What can Mississippians who were displaced or lost personal property due to Hurricane Katrina expect as they begin their road to recovery? After insurance one of the major sources of assistance will come from FEMA's Individuals and Household Program which provides temporary help in the form of alternative housing and financial assistance with other needs.

Rental assistance for temporary housing for those whose homes are unlivable.
Grants for home repairs and replacement of essential household items not covered by insurance to make damaged dwellings safe, sanitary and functional.
Grants to replace personal property and help meet medical, dental, funeral, transportation and other serious disaster-related needs not covered by insurance or other federal, state, and charitable aid programs.
Unemployment payments for workers who temporarily lost jobs because of the disaster and who do not qualify for regular state unemployment benefits including self-employed individuals.
Low-interest loans to cover homeowners, renters, and businesses for losses not fully compensated by insurance. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration)
Low-interest loans for businesses and non-profits that have suffered disaster-related cash flow problems and need funds for working capital to recover from the disaster's economic impact. (Source: U.S. Small Business Administration)
Loans for farmers, ranchers and aquaculture operators to cover production and property losses. (Source: Farm Service Agency, U.S. Department of Agriculture.)
Other relief programs: Crisis counseling for those traumatized by the disaster; income tax assistance for filing casualty losses; advisory assistance for legal issues; veterans benefits; and social security matters.
Individuals who have not registered can begin the application assistance process by calling 1-800-621-FEMA (3362) or 1-800-462-7585 (TTY) for the hearing or speech impaired.

FEMA prepares the nation for all hazards and manages federal response and recovery efforts following any national incident. FEMA also initiates mitigation activities, trains first responders, works with state and local emergency managers, and manages the National Flood Insurance Program and the U.S. Fire Administration. FEMA became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security on March 1, 2003.

[quickstep]

There's a house in Scituate, MA, also able to withstand hurricanes and noreasters. It's been there since at least 1976. It came through '78 with flying colors. I don't know much else about it, except it's probably built similar to the CGFL house. Unfortunately, my attempts at researching it online have been fruitless, though someone told me that MIT was involved in the design. I'm guessing probably WHOI had a hand in it, too.

[MGC]

I didn't get a dime from FEMA because I have insurance. The FEMA adjuster estimated my damages at less than my insurance company's adjusters. Good idea, a totally concrete house, but who can afford a 600K house?....MGC

[Dionne]

I'd like to see where the cold joints in the concrete are located and how much steel was used connecting the foundation to the walls and walls to roof.

Reinforced concrete structures did fail during Katrina. Although from what I saw....it was debris laden storm surge that took out concrete VSM's. What was your slump at when you poured the concrete?

$250 per square foot to build in this capacity is not bad at all. I'm surprised it's that low.

What is the BFE at the homes location?

I've got dozens of questions. Would love to see the home.

[Strings]

I'm not sure it would need any cold joints, as TECHNICALLY, it could be poured in a day. But LEGALLY there may be inspection requirements that preclude that...?

(IIRC, Hoover Dam is one continuous pour, no cold joints.)

But yes, I'd like to know what special mix and PSI rating concrete they used, rebar practices, etc. Remodeling's going to be a bugger with those concrete INTERIOR walls.

Luckily So-Fla does not have earthquakes too! Now THAT would be some expensive construction.

[HurricaneJim]

Same as they build in Bosnia. You would not believe the damage these homes could soak up. Saved my butt more than once.

Artillery will make you a believer!

The Bosnians will gang up all their friends and neighbors, rent a mixer and have one up in a week. Finsh the interior as you go, one floor at a time.

Jim
http://www.myspace.com/hurricanejim
http://www.myspace.com/stormchasetroopers


NAVY WAM LINK
https://www.fnmoc.navy.mil/PUBLIC/WAM/all_natl.html

[NFLDART]

I gotta get me one of these...

[sprink52]

Stay tuned...I'm a contractor and we are finalizing designs for basic and luxury homes for NW Florida and other areas that will be extreemly storm resistant. We are going to offer elevated and non elevated models. After riding out three hurricanes in two years in a solid concrete home....I know the days of frame construction in Florida and other vulnerable areas of the SE are numbered.

[StrongWind]

Better than concrete? - wood!

[Strings]

Wood IS the original fiber-composite material (true nanotechnology, if you think about it). Trouble is finding contractors that know how to build with it, AHJs that know how to inspect it, etc. Also the considerable problems of humidity, heat, salt spray, and termites in the sub-tropics.

Until the recent run-up in real estate, CBS homes w/ poured columns and headers were always very economical in So-Fla, because that's all they built, everyone knew how to do it, the concrete was made locally, etc. Talk about a sturdy bunker.

I shudder to think what it would cost to build CBS in an area where it is uncommon.