I want to be ready when the next big one comes through CT, so I’m planning to beat the rush & have plywppd all ready & cut to size, drilled for lagbolts, etc. My question is whether to use 3/4 CDX or Advantech?
My house withstood all the hurricanes since 1695, but the shed dormer on the south side was added after 1938, & has 9 windows, so that’s the part that concerns me.
Thanks!
Replies
Maybe somethjing lighter than 3/4, like 1/2". Don't forget that somebody has to hump it up the ladder in foul weather, toting a screwgun too. An exterior grade of ply would probably work well.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
re humping it up the ladder...These windows are on the second floor, over a low-pitch extension roof - I usually go out a window to access - figure we just have to get them on the roof. Would 1/2 be strong enough?
Ok, so you climb out a window to do the work. How do you get back in through a covered window?
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Ooh..Duh! Guess I better have the ladder waiting...
Thanks!
Edited to add - mentioned climbing out the window...oh, never mind...
Edited 8/14/2006 6:33 pm ET by kate
Instead of working from the outside, perhaps you could design something with handles and dogs on the inside. Then you could just put it out thru the window, pull it back into place, and make it fast from the inside.
-- J.S.
How do you get back in through a covered window?
Frame a 2' x 2' opening in one ofthe covers centered on the open sash. Lag a 27' sq to some 2x framing to make a "plug" door. Rig plug & framing for wedges.
The added-on dormer might even benefit from an interior wale (waler, as the concrete boys call them) bracing the interior in any event.
Occupational hazard of my occupation not being around (sorry Bubba)
Would 1/2 be strong enough?
no. 3/4 six ply 3 inches bigger than window. 3 inch lag bolts.
That's pretty much what I thought, but I knew Breaktime folks would have the last word...
Check these out, no experience but have seen thm in the catalog. Anyone else got any experience?
http://www.mcfeelys.com/product.asp?pid=GBF-0154
yes, they dont work
HANGER BOLT you just put them once and just. then just pUT the ply over the bolts and put on washer and tighten the nuts. if you use a jig to get all the bolts the same place you don't need to number the plywood. if you paint the ply you can keep reusing the the ply until some thing hits it.
Good idea - thanks!
How far are you from the ocean? Hurricanes weaken rapidly when they get over land.
Check with your local fire department. They may have a Community Emergency Response Team or some other kind of program or information. You need to start by finding out what the risks are for your location.
-- J.S.
I'm ON the ocean - or, rather, on Long Island Sound. New London...
A bunch of us living here in Mobile where I work have thought about either using metal roofing or Hardi board as opposed to traditional methods of wood due to longevity of the material itself. We have also kicked around the idea of using Aluminum U-channels, place one below the window and one above the window, screw the channels into the house permanently. Have wing nuts (the ones with the studs attatched) threaded into the channels. Then when a storm is near, take the panels and slide them into place and tighten down.
Semper Fi
Interesting idea...Here in CT, we don't get as many hurricanes as you do, but that would make much less last minute rushing around.
some sort of missle thrown by a hurricane is going to plow right through hardi IMO
some sort of missle thrown by a hurricane is going to plow right through hardi
Quite possible..... I don't know the tensil strength if thats what they call it of Hardi. Seems strong enough to me, The corrigated metal roofing material I'll bet would work out.
If it is a Hezbollah missile, I don't want to be around anyway! LOL
Semper Fi
In the O.P.'s case, one good thing about being right on the ocean is that there won't be large projectiles like 2x4's. Maybe sand or gravel, depending what the beach is.
-- J.S.
That's a pretty fair point.
oh yeah!
what about a real big fish being hurled out of the ocean? ;)
There was some research done on sharks. They seem to be real good at knowing what's coming, and how to get out of the way.
-- J.S.
Why not spent the time to make perm. hurricane shutters? Seems cheaper in the long run.
Mike
That's a good idea, & I plan to do it later, but my siding & trim need to be replaced before I can do it, & for that I need to save4 up $$$ -
This all based on my assumptions but I'd go with ply over Advantech.
My thought is the continues layers of ply running perpendicular to each other will provide more impact resistants then the short stands of advantech glued together.
I have nothing to back it up with
I was having the same thought on why to use ply.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
heres some of my hurricane shutter/prep links
5/8" is the min size suggested
http://www.fema.gov/plan/prevent/howto/index#5
http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/17/Homes/All_about_plywood.shtml
http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/hrd/shutters/index2.html
(ive got a bunch more I could post if you like)
Hurricane charley hit the area two years ago yesterday . while you would normaly say they lose there strenght away from the coast charley plowed right thru the state as a cat4 folks 100 miles inland where devestated .
I have a mix of ply and steel shutters ready to go up.
I wouldnt trust the plylox ..
(great hurricane season so far , hope it stays this way )
another thing to consider are the new plastic ones , lightweight and availible clear so you can leave them up for awhile
heres one site as a example
http://www.transparentprotection.com/
Im seeing a lot of folks around here who put hese up in june and I guess they plan to leave them up till november .
Wonder what would happen if (in their destructive testing videos) they turned that piece under the roller 90*?
Well, as usual, BT came through! Thank you all for your helpful suggestions - my days of being able to wriggle through a 2x2 hole are long since over, but everything else was useful!
if you are on the ocean, nothing you can do to save the house. the storm surge will wipe it out.
I Think I'm high enough to miss that - about 50 feet & about !/2 mile from the edge. I can see a tiny bit of the Thames River when the leaves are off the trees...I know I'll lose the chimneys down to the roof line, but the roof is new last year - I have the tarps & plywood ready - & I am concerned about the south windows on the second floor.You are so comforting!
Why not make your life easy and install real storm panels? They are not expensive and are well within a homeowners ability to install. You put up a top and bottom trach then when a storm is approaching you pop in the nice, light aluminum panels and you're good to go. Take a look at
http://www.stormshutters.com/storm-panels/storm-panels.html for some pictures. Their pricing is crazy but it will give you the idea. Around here HD and Lowes both sell them as well as dozens of speciality contractors.
Thanks for the link. After I redo the siding & the window frames (next year???) I intend to install real, operable shetters over every window - look would be authentic to style of the house.I'm looking for ideas "just in case" for this season.
I went by the fairgrounds this afternoon and they are having a "do it yourself " hurricane shutter sale saturday .if I pick up any good links I will post them here .the clear shutter link I gave you earlier is probably not the same product that you see at the farm store . Ive seen the clear shutters and they are much heavier that the panels sold as roofing might evan be a differnt formula
do you ever open your upper windows?
Some, no; some, yes. 2 of them have window ac's, which have to come out with storm warnings...a pain, but at the moment, reality.
Cool! The Farm-Tek catalog has these panels.
While OSB is a great product for flooring and walls, it has the problem of being easily penetrated by a projectile. If you have an OSB sheathed wall, you can make a hole in it with a single hammer smack. This is much harder to accomplish with regular plywood.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I had the impression that Advantech was unlike regular osb, but perhaps I was wrong. All I know, I learned from BT!
It is different in a number of respects... but I'm not sure it is different in this one.
Easy test: Buy a sheet, lean it against a wall, hit it hard with a hammer. Mystery solved!Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
I dont board up my windows anymore. I think it is an overrated practice. I do board up for some customers though and the plylock clips worked well on brick houses. Some of those houses got 60 to 80 mph winds during Katrina. Most of the debris that blows around is fairly small stuff and osb works fine.