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Today's Homes and Tornados

3K views 10 replies 7 participants last post by  JackOfAllTrades 
#1 ·
Living in Colorado, we just recently moved here and my wife & I bought a new home. We are near DIA and Denver is known for getting some tornadoes. They are usually NOT strong and range from F0 to F2. Not until you get east of Fort Morgan do they increase in strength. I believe east of Fort Morgan is where Tornado Alley begins.

With todays building codes. I am confident that a new home will survive with no real damage from an F0 (40MPH-72MPH winds) and even an F1 (73MPH-112MPH winds).:whistling2:

Would a new home survive an F2 tornado? An F2 winds range from 112MPH-157MPH. :(
 
#2 ·
There is no way you can make a generalized statement about the survivability of a "new house" in a tornado. It's like saying, the occupants of a "new car" would survive a 50 mph crash. Hummer yes, Mini Cooper, maybe not. For a house to sustain little or no damage would depend on it's design and construction methodology.
Personally, if I lived in tornado alley, the house would be poured concrete with a bunker like basement.
Ron
 
#4 ·
I am a builder in tornado alley, and if your contractor follows some very basic practices, most stick built homes will survive an F3 or less tornado....things like hurricane clips and wall strapping can make any home wind resistant to those levels. Most structural failures occur after the failure of the roof (lift) and collapse of the walls. The area you are in isn't going to see a lot of tornado activity....no matter what you see on the news, they are a rarity. I have lived here nearly all my life and have seen 3....most people never see one.
 
#6 · (Edited)
According to NOAA, the area of Colorado where I live now has had since 1950:

88 tornadoes in the F0 range (40 - 72MPH)
47 tornadoes in the F1 range (72MPH -112MPH)
09 tornadoes in the F2 range (113MPH -157MPH)
02 tornadoes in the F3 range (158MPH - 206MPH)
ZERO in the F4 or F5 range

So they are mostly in the F0 and F1 range. Check out the site and punch in your area. www.noaa.gov

QUESTIONS:

1 - How would I know if my builder used those items? Is there a way to check? The home was built using 2006 IBC.

2 - I attached pics of my picture window. We had gusts of 50MPH one day and the window was FLEXING :eek:. The windows are "higher-end" and they are thick (dual pane) but is that normal for them to flex like that?

3 - If the home is built using a "standard" method of building using the 2006 codes. A truss roof and exterior 2x6 walls, 16" centers. Would it have a good chance of surviving?
 

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#5 ·
If you are interested, go to the FEMA site. They have plans and specs for a "safe room" that can be constructed in a basement or as part of the home.

This is a true tornado-proof room/structure, if there is such a thing. The main criterial is attachement to the ground to keep it in place and the protection from projectiles, which is one of most dangerous parts of a tornado. Part of the research consisted of firing a 12' long 2x4 from an air cannon at 150 mph with no penetration. The approved walls must be either reinforced block or reinforced concrete with a concrete roof and a big foundation. - Wood is not acceptable. There also specifications for the door and hardware and the ventilation system. The wall requirements are the basis for the special construction areas in some coastal Florida counties.
 
#8 ·
1),..... Look,.... Possibly in the attic or maybe the basement you should be able to See the tornado Clips.......

2),.... Large sheets of Glass will have some Flex,.... It's plain ole Physics....

3),.... Survive,..??..??... As in Still Standing,..... Maybe....
Survive Without Damage,..??..??.... I Doubt it.......
 
#10 ·
Yes.

You also need extra fastening to keep the roof sheathing panels from being sucked off. You probably cannot see glue or extra ring shanked nails now but you can use L shaped strips of sheet metal screwed on between the rafters and sheathing (screws of course not penetrating above into the shingles). I think every 2 feet on every joist, and on both sides of the joist where two panels meet above, should do it.
 
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