Wind Mitigation Inspections
Pensacola and local areas
Wind Mitigation inspections, although they have become common place in this area I am still surprised that some home owners have not had this inspection completed on their homes. I still get the same response that I was receiving several years ago and that is can I really save money by having this inspection. Let me say that almost all homes have some form of mitigation factor that will contribute to lowering their yearly home owner’s expense. In this writing I am not going to in depth on all the technical factors of how the Wind Mitigation program began or how it was developed, but I will provide the common sense and easy to understand information that I find myself repeating to homeowners on a daily basis so that you can determine if it right for you or not.
For Gulf State Home Inspections all Wind Inspections begin before the inspector arrives at the client’s home. We look to determine the age of the home and if any permits such as roof replacement are available. This is important as roofs replaced after March of 2002 and have had a roof permit showing this are eligible for a discount. This is referred to in the Wind Mitigation Form as the FBC 2001. If no permits where pulled we would need to locate the shingles from the installation that would likely be in the original packaging as this would have a Florida product approval number.
Once we arrive at the client’s home we would need access to the attic. The first thing I inspect for is the size nail/fastener used to fasten the decking in place. To receive a discount the fastener would need to be a 2 ½” 8d nail or larger, typically the most common fastener is less and will not provide a discount but there are many homes in this area that do receive this discount. These fasteners are found by locating a nail/shiner missed the decking and truss when being nailed.
Once the size of the fastener is determined we must show the nailing pattern of the decking to the truss, this is done by a hand held metal detector, not a stud finder. This determines the discount if the nail/fasteners are 2 ½” 8d
Roof design such as Hip or Gable, Please note that only the hip roof can receive this discount. Any hip roof with a gable section totaling more than 10% of the overall roof perimeter is considered a Non Hip roof and therefore cannot receive this discount.
SWR or secondary water resistance barrier such as peel and stick being placed over the sheathing to prevent leaks if something where to happen to the roof covering. We can determine this during most inspection but it has not been common in this area and most receive no discounts for this product.
Hurricane Clips are probably the most talked about of all the discounts yet most home owners are not aware if they were used when their home was built. Chances are that you do have hurricane clips even if your home was built in the 70’s or even earlier. Clips are required to meet the following two guidelines 1. They must be attached to EVERY truss and 2. They must have at least 3 nails/fasteners to be considered for a discount. While not every home receives this discount I would have to say that the larger majority do.
Hurricane shutters is a touchy subject but the rules are very clear and if they meet the requirements then you may be able to receive additional discounts. To simplify this I will not overstate the information but will note the common reason that a home with shutters will not be considered shuttered though the Wind Mitigation Inspection. The main reason is that every glazed opening must be protected to a minimum level. If only one window/glass or glazed opening is missing protection no discounts will be given by the insurance carrier, even if the glazed opening is at the garage door. The shutters have to meet Florida regulation for the Wind mitigation. Does yours? To find out take one of your shutters out of the garage and get it into the light. You should be able to find an etching or a stamped area that has “Statewide Approval” or “Miami-Dade Approval”. Not all are easy to locate. Wording may be different due to many manufacturers. Plywood/OSB is currently allowed when this was written. Skylights have to be protected and this is usually due to having a modern high impact glass skylight installed, it will have labeling showing it is “Miami-Dade Approved Product”. I have seen to many times that a label has fallen off the accordion shutter and without being able to verify that it meets Florida approval it cannot be considered protected.
With all this I would be willing to bet your dwelling will receive a Wind Mitigation discount and if not I will return your cost for the inspection.
To Schedule your Wind Mitigation Inspection today just call Gulf State Home Inspections @ (850) 393-7418 Cost is only $75 “if you don’t save you don’t pay”
