Why do some houses display more damage after a hurricane than other houses?
"Non-Engineer" Answer: Because of differences in the age of the houses and the contractors used to build the houses.
Explanation: The reason that your house may have experienced minor damage while your neighbor's house may have experienced substantial damage does not always involve luck. A difference in the age of the houses can play a role in the amount of damage one house may experience compared to another. Specifically, if your neighbor's house was built in the 1980's, then it would have been built according to the Southern Building Code. Whereas, if your house was built in 2002, then it would have been built according to the Florida Building Code, which is more stringent. Like everything else, the building code has improved through time, just as technology and research have also improved. Through research and past experiences, the newer codes account for potential catastrophes such as hurricanes and require that the houses be designed and built to withstand these catastrophes.
In addition to the differences in the time the houses were built, the individual responsible for building the home can also affect the outcome. While we would hope that all contractors, engineers and architects responsible for the design and construction of your home would be reputable individuals, the reality is that not all are and some take shortcuts. A home built with construction deficiencies, (i.e. improper fasteners, incorrect installation of components or the use of wrong materials during construction) could also affect the performance of your home during a hurricane.
Commentary: While no building is ever designed to withstand every type of natural disaster it is possible to safe-guard yourself against hurricanes. One way of safe-guarding your home is to hire a professional such as an engineer, architect or building inspector to inspect your home for hurricane readiness. The professional can look for unnoticed damages and construction deficiencies that could possibly compromise the structure.
"Non-Engineer" Answer: Because of differences in the age of the houses and the contractors used to build the houses.
Explanation: The reason that your house may have experienced minor damage while your neighbor's house may have experienced substantial damage does not always involve luck. A difference in the age of the houses can play a role in the amount of damage one house may experience compared to another. Specifically, if your neighbor's house was built in the 1980's, then it would have been built according to the Southern Building Code. Whereas, if your house was built in 2002, then it would have been built according to the Florida Building Code, which is more stringent. Like everything else, the building code has improved through time, just as technology and research have also improved. Through research and past experiences, the newer codes account for potential catastrophes such as hurricanes and require that the houses be designed and built to withstand these catastrophes.
In addition to the differences in the time the houses were built, the individual responsible for building the home can also affect the outcome. While we would hope that all contractors, engineers and architects responsible for the design and construction of your home would be reputable individuals, the reality is that not all are and some take shortcuts. A home built with construction deficiencies, (i.e. improper fasteners, incorrect installation of components or the use of wrong materials during construction) could also affect the performance of your home during a hurricane.
Commentary: While no building is ever designed to withstand every type of natural disaster it is possible to safe-guard yourself against hurricanes. One way of safe-guarding your home is to hire a professional such as an engineer, architect or building inspector to inspect your home for hurricane readiness. The professional can look for unnoticed damages and construction deficiencies that could possibly compromise the structure.
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