They need to change the building codes in FL

[inotherwords]

Under 100K can also buy many condos and townhouses.

No need for more governmental regulation, simple as that. People choose to live they way they want.

You know, normally I'd agree with this, but here's my situation: I live next door to a 3 acre Spanish style estate with an 8' stucco (styrofoam stucco) wall around it. The owner last year thought it would be nice to put clay roofing tile all along the top of the wall, so he hired his caretaker (a lazy drunk) to do it. I was out trimming my bougainvilleas and hit one of the tiles with my pole saw, and it fell off the wall. I discovered that NONE of these tiles were anchored in place. In a storm, they would become projectiles. I found out that what they did was NOT illegal and that I had no recourse but to try to reason with them. I did, and they took the tiles down...on my side of the wall only, just because I was the one complaining! What about the rest of the neighborhood? I explained to them that if anyone had damage on any of their homes, they would be held liable because these particular tiles would be easily traced to them.

Another case in point: Sarasota used to have a pass between Casey Key and Siesta Key called Midnight Pass. The water flowed in and out from the Gulf with the tides. But someone had built an expensive home right at the end of Siesta Key directly on the beach, and erosion threatened to wash it away. Rich people back then were able to line enough pockets to lobby to have the pass closed off. What's happened since then is an ecological nightmare in the intercoastal as it doesn't flush to the Gulf anymore. It's like a sewer over there in places. For 20 years people have been trying to get the idea reversed and the pass back open. Now it will cost millions and milliions to do so, and the issue has been a huge political football, just because a few rich people were foolish enough to build houses in an area known to erode.

So I do think in some cases the laws should be stricter. If people are left to their own devices, then they can make stupid decisions that will impact a lot of other people, not just themselves. Somebody else's poorly built structure will be the one that breaks up and flies through YOUR window.

[yzerfan]

One of my coworkers spent several years in Okinawa when he was in the AF. According to him, they had many a 3+ storm while he was there, but the houses were designed for the strong typhoons- filled cement block, flat roofs, well sealed windows and doors, and weren't in storm surge zones. When the Super Typhoons came calling, slap the storm shutters on, close the door and you did just fine even with really scary wind speeds.

As for the 100K Florida house, five years ago you could have gotten a nice brand new 1350sf house in my area built to good recent hurricane code. But then the boom came along in mid 2003, and everything skyrocketed. A two bedroom condo in a middle class area these days goes for $125K and you aren't even close to the beach with that. The only sub-100K homes left in my area are, you guessed it, manufactured homes.

[wxwatcher2]

I see both sides of the argument as to building codes.

The problem is that until this year, you could get away with a home built to lesser standards. I mean if the most you ever had were 50 mph winds then almost any dwelling would be fine.

Those of you who say "that's the cost of living in paradise" either don't live here or have never experienced hot humid days with no A/C.
Florida is not a paradise. At least not to me.
And that comes from a 50 plus year old life long resident.

I'm ready for cooler less humid weather.

Heat, humidity and mosquito's are not Paradise.

Nice but not paradise.

[Lebowsky]

I'm a native too and I remember the bad old days of no air conditioning and bugs up the wazoo. When I was a kid all we had was a couple of electric fans. I don't know what happened to all the bugs, it kind of worries me that we have apparently killed them all.

I think people need to show a little common sense instead of just relying on building codes. If you want to move down here and build a starter mansion with cathedral ceilings that is made out of tissue and spit, that's your business, you have no right to complain when it gets knocked down.

[jdray]

People equate Florida with Paradise.

I guess they mean late fall or spring time temps on the Beach with a light seabreeze.

Inland Florida gets HOT. North Central Florida is ridiculously hot during the summertime. No seabreeze to cool things down. Normally 95-105 summertime temps with 60% or better humidity.


Cattle owners used to lose tons of cattle to mosquitos before spraying came about.

[Lebowsky]

I spent eight years in Gainesville, you don't know what hot and humid is until you've spent a summer there. You didn't even have to do anything to start dripping with sweat, just standing still outdoors would do it.

[Sanibel]

We had no power for over 2 days after coming back to the island after Charley. 3/4 of our storm shutters are electric, so the house had mostly closed doors and windows in the August mid-day heat. The only way I was able to sleep was by propping a matress into a window and placing my face near a screen. Couldn't sleep on the porch because Charley took out our porch screens. We were lucky, some had no power for two and a half weeks. A mosquito net or tent is a good hurricane kit item for those who try to stay in a damaged house.

For the person who had the water forced through the concrete, they make concrete sealant you can paint on the surface that seals that porousness. Though I would guess it probably ran down the walls from a roof area that wasn't designed to stop forced rain. As with the poster who had the window leak - I would start at the roof first and go down from there.


Dome houses are cool, but they are ugly for the 99.999% of the time their design isn't being used for its intended purpose.


The nature of hurricane activity prevents these solutions. Probably next year Florida will see no hurricanes and the problem will soon be forgotten within the hustle of normal life and our assault on nature we call our economy...

[SunnyFla]

The Building Code followed in Palm Beach is the South Florida Building Code. The Miami-Dade Building Codes are based on the SFBC, however, Miami-Dade can make the codes more stringent but not less than the SFBC. This said, I live in Palm Beach County and was very worried about both hurricanes because my home is under construction (we are in the middle of adding an addition). My concern was that a portion of my roof is exposed and the old overhang was removed on a portion of the roof leaving an opening. My husband and I boarded this up as best we could and we survived both storms without any damage to our roof or the construction. The amazing part is that there is a beam going around what will be the new patio and a peaked concrete block wall sitting on top of that beam that was not damaged at all. I thought for sure that block would come down since the rake beam is not up yet (which gives it support) but we were amazingly lucky. This construction is all being done to the new codes (which were updated again last year) and I think it is working out fine. If I were on the north end of the hurricanes I might be singing a different tune but I'm pleased with the way it held up.

For people with water coming through the concrete, my sister had the same problem. She was told to seal the concrete and that should take care of the water entering. There is a concrete sealer that is stronger than some and I would suggest using this.

Donna

[Scorpion]

Here in Palm Beach County, especially Jupiter, you can't buy a decent safe home that isnt in the ghetto for less than 150k. Average price for a modest home is about 250k or more. So basically MH's or the ghetto are the only choices for low income families.