I’m heading to Florida this week to help my cousin do a little repair/rebuild on some of hurricane Charley’s damage from last July.
Although he has had this house for many years, he has no idea about its structure or how to rework it according to current standards for existing structures in hurricane areas.
Where I live and work the specs are not the same as in Florida….I need some education to cure my ignorance!
My questions….
What are the SOP’s on the attachment of flat roof rafter’s (2×6) and the top plate on top of an existing filled block wall?
What is the nailing schedule for the roof sheathing? Roofing contractor is to apply the foam roof.
Any other insights?
Your considerations are appreciated.
……………Iron Helix
Replies
First of all, I'm assuming you'll pull a permit for the repairs. To get through the plan review you'll have to have a PE stamped document for the structural stuff. This makes the requirement easy - do as the PE wants.
The house will be in a certain wind zone and the requirements vary with the scope of work. If you're actually in a designated high velocity zone you'll have a set of parameters different from the rest of the state. Charley covered a fairly wide swath of the state.
Now, if you happen to be in a portion of the state that is a bit lax on permitting and inspections (there are still some areas like that) you could start with an epoxied in bolt, embedded in the top course 7", 4' oc. Each rafter end attached to the top plate with an H3 hurricane clip. Plywood (or OSB) deck flush nailed with 8d commons. Usually 6" oc all edges and 12" in the field but when using cooler sized CC nails in a gun its 3" oc all edges and 6" in the field. Most inspectors never ask what nails you are using and expect to see the latter. Your prints will have the nailing shedule on them and if you actually use 8d commons then the inspector will want to see the empty box of nails as proof. Some will even recognize that the heads look a little different.
You might consider solid blocking on all panel edges perpendicular to the rafters. 2x4's on the flat will work fine. A little more work than plyclips but a firmer roof. Or you could use T&G sheathing. Plyclips can be a little rough on flat roof membranes. You want to keep the potential hole pokers to a minimum.
An alternative to the epoxied bolt is a Simpson FSA but you will see these on the outside of the block and would need to devise a fascia-like covering. An enginer should specify the spacing. I would still use the H3's on each rafter.
You could get lucky and find that the top plates are already bolted down at an acceptable spacing.
If you have an overhang, the outlookers perpendicular to the rafters rest on the top plate and dead end into the last full length rafter which is WITHIN the perimeter of the structure. An H3 will attach this to the top plate and toe nailing should be enough at the rafter connection. Some places like to see another hurricane clip at that point, too. H2.5A. Can't hurt. Solid blocking between all rafters on the perimeter.
Venting - The old houses had a foil backed kraft paper laid in above the plaster ceiling and a pair of screened vent holes drilled in the blocking at the end of each rafter bay. Not very much in the way of insulation. Ventilation is still pretty much a sacred cow so if you plan to stuff a little more in there you might consider planning for an air flow channel above. The foam chutes, set end to end would work. They are currently about $1.39 each at 2' x 4' and if you split them length wise along the perforation you get 8lf per that will fit nicely stapled up to the underside of the deck before you stuff some R19 in the bays. That's the min requirement for single element roofing. If you don't have to do any interior ceiling work I guess you could stuff it in reverse before you put the deck on.
Thank you for the info....especially the nailing schedule and the added blocking details. The town is Punta Gorda....it was the landfall bullseye for Charley!
There will be no insulation involved since this is a flat roof garage area without any finished ceiling. I think the "garage" was originally (1960's) a carport type structure, but now closed in to reduce the wind lift.
I didn't handle the permit issues....I ####-u-me he has that covered! I am told that we need no drawings or "wet stamps" since it is repairing/replacing the building back to its original condition. Permits are an area I have never had to deal with...I live in a rural area.
lMy local city requires a building permit that is a single piece of paper (8.5x11)where you draw the platt of the lot with a footprint of the proposed building, a guesstimate of costs, and a check to cover a fee of $1/$1000 cost ($20 minimum). This paper is turned into the "building inspector" who is the retired chief of police..and most of the time that is the end of it!
I digress............
Is there a text resource available for me to use while I'm there, or is it variable as to the local?
Once again....my thanks for the detailed response! ..............Iron Helix
The days of emergency repair permits are over. You will need a regular permit to work and you will be required to bring the roof to current codes. Charlotte county officals are still warning against unlicensed contractors and have arrested some. One great example was the contractor who came down from NJ to help his buddy, just as a friend. Inspector stops by, checks the work, checks who is doing the work, contractor from Jersey goes to jail despite his protest that he is not contracting. Be careful.
WoW !!! and Whoaaa!
Think I better call my cousin Joe and ask him how much bail money he has!
I didn't like Army mess hall food...sure don't want to sample Charlotte County's jail cuisine!
Rick,thanks for the "head's up"...................Iron Helix
PS...checked your profile for location...no info...
Are you from that area?
Edited 1/31/2005 7:15 am ET by Iron Helix
IH,
Ralph's input is very good and as the other reply indicated, you will need permitting for this. I live in Florida and can verify the State is cracking down and we even had a friend of a homeowner arrested in our jurisdiction. Emergency permitting is over but the emergency order from the governor is still in effect which makes unlicensed contracting a 3rd degree felony!
So double check before you do any work and contact the local bld. dept. where he lives. The Florida Bldg. Code is on-line at http://www.floridabuilding.org/ if it helps any.
You'll still have to check with the local dept. regarding any specifics to their area.
Hope this helps.
Mike
Here is the rest of the story!
Called cousin Joe about my concerns, he calls the Charllotte county construction and permit office and explains his circumstance...
A. Joe has sent 10K as a 50% down on the foam roof replacement.
B.Roofer can't do the structural end of repairs, must have a GC to do the work. But cannot get anyone to do the work as the job is too small...so no roof until it is done. Roof has been blue tarped since July o4.
C. Joe asks me to go down and handle his affairs.
D. Ask BT forum for advise....get the willies scared out of me.....Call Joe and explain what I have read.
E. Joe picks up the phone, calls Charlotte Cty const & permit office and secures a homeowners permit to allow me to do his work in order to allow for the roof replacement as per the circumstance.
F. As I drive to Florida, Joe will undergo his a set of chemos for cancer of the prostate, spinal cord, and brain....he won't be helping me!
G. Thanks to BT....I'm going in heads-up on code....and legal !!!
Many....many....thanks to the crew at BT!
........Iron Helix
Check again on the homeowners permit.
Unless there are rule changes I don't know about, the homeowner is the one who has to do the work, since he pulled the permit. If anyone else does the work for the homeowner then that person must be properly licensed AND pull his own permit for the job.
To pull a homeowners permit in Jacksonville, the homeowner must first take a short written test to prove he has a clue. If he fails the test he can take it again, next month. This requirement was brought about to curb the fly-by-night "contractors" who would have the homeowner pull the permit so they could do a so-called legal job when in fact they were totally illegal without their own state or local registered contractors license. Occupational licenses don't mean squat.
If your cousin was able to pull the permit, more power to him and to you. Chances are there will be no followup except the required inspections and the inspector and county taking his word for it that he did the work. They are really more interested in seeing a good job than hassling, unless you are one of those taking money under false pretenses.
Regarding tiedowns. You can't go wrong overdoing the connections. If you think you are in a designated high-velocity wind area, increasing the number of bolts to 16" oc might be the way to go. Your cousin could ask that question of the permitting office.
Here is how it is set up... (arranged by the folks in the permit dept. )
I will drive to Port Charlotte (1100 miles)and pick up the permit paperwork and fax it to Joe, he will designate me in the document as his agent due to his medical condition, and sign off on it.
Then fax it back for me to hand carry to the office for fee payment and certification. The permit is to allow me to do the necessary work to then allow the roofing contractor to do his job.
My outright expenses will be reimbursed by Joe, but there is no profit motive to generate an invoice from.....the good will is fostered by a strong family relationship through all the years....our mothers were sisters...his mom, Myrle, still lives an active life at age 90...she will outlive her son!
I hope it is easy as it appears in writing.............snafu's are expected!
Ralph, Thanks for your construction details and suggestions.
.................Iron Helix
From my work in Puerto Rico, for guys with practical knowledge of this stuff, the top plate needs to be anchored to the block wall with some well-anchored bolts. In PR they used stainless bolts epoxied in. Then you need to have metal tie straps from the top plate to the rafters/joists, ideally wrapped under the plate and over the joist. The roofing in PR was mostly metal, screwed down, so I don't know what the other options would be there.
you need a copy of " Dade county standard building code" its about $30 and are the toughest in the state. Build to these and they pass everytime.