What is Fortified?
Fortified is a construction program developed by The Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). IBHS is a research nonprofit that develops building practices to improve resilience against natural hazards with a state-of-the-art research facility that simulates high wind, hail, wind-driven rain, and wildfire events.
Fortified provides free access to their resilient construction standards, has trained a network of contractors who implement and install these standards, and requires third-party verification to ensure these construction methods are implemented properly and the Fortified standards are met.
We at Axelrad are all certified Fortified third-party Evaluators, who can help you with the process to get a Fortified roof. Call us if you have any questions, and we’ll be happy to help you or answer any questions you may have.
There are three levels of Fortified: Roof, Silver, and Gold. Silver and Gold are standards expanded to the components of the home outside of the roof that protect from damage during disaster events. See https://fortifiedhome.org/
A Fortified Roof has a few defining characteristics: stringent roof deck attachment standards, a sealed roof deck, locked-down roof edges, impact-resistant shingles, and wind-resistant roof vents. Each characteristic is specifically designed to prevent failure during disaster events.
Ring shank nails are required to secure roof decking to rafters, which have twice the compression strength of smooth-shank nails, greatly reducing wind-uplift potential of the roof.
A sealed roof deck means that even if a high wind gust rips a shingle off the roof, the roof will not leak because the entire roof is weatherproofed under the shingles.
Locked down roof edges mean tightly-nailed drip edge and a well-sealed down starter strip, to protect the vulnerable roof edges from wind.
Impact-resistant shingles are stronger against hail and airborne debris, and wind-resistant roof vents will stay attached to the roof to prevent large openings from forming when weaker vents fail.
What are the benefits?
Fortified roofs are research-backed building standards that are third-party verified to protect you and your home from disasters, save you money on repairs and insurance, and ultimately give you peace of mind that your roof, the first line of defense against weather events, is built to the highest standard of durability and resilience.
Fortified roofs are a recognized standard, which may qualify you for a discount with your homeowner’s insurance. There is also a grant program in Louisiana that grants up to $10,000 for homeowners to upgrade their roofs to Fortified, to help homeowners in the state better withstand hurricanes. Click here for more information: https://ldi.la.gov/