Sun-Sentinal article on barrel tile roofs and building codes
here's the link to the article
By Sallie James
Staff Writer
Posted January 29 2006
| The pounding winds of Hurricane Wilma stripped so many barrel tiles off the ridges and edges of houses the need for improvement became clear: Building codes needed to be toughened.
Troubled by the damage, building officials in Broward and Miami-Dade counties recently submitted state code changes to prevent future problems, according to Rusty Carroll, chief structural code compliance officer with the Broward County Board of Rules and Appeals. If approved, they will go into affect in August.
"I don't think it took a rocket scientist to figure out we had a problem," Carroll said.
Under building codes adopted in Broward and Miami-Dade in the mid-1990s after Hurricane Andrew, and then folded into a statewide code in 2002, roof tiles should have stayed in place in 130-mph to 150-mph winds. But they didn't.
Edging tiles and tiles that cap the ridges of houses were scattered by the high winds.
The proposed changes would require ridge tiles to be nailed or screwed down, and tested after installation to determine whether the tiles are properly attached to the roof's edge.
Tiles on the eaves would require metal storm clips as anchors.
Individual tiles can cost as much as $20 apiece and roofers cost about $75 an hour, according to one roofing company. New roofs are averaging about $25,000 to replace.
Broward and Miami-Dade counties follow a separate "high velocity" section of the Florida Building Code than much of the rest of the state.
South Florida officials say poor installation was a factor in most of the reported roof damage.
According to Rick Dixon, executive director of the Florida Building Commission, the largest share of damage was the result of improper installation or shoddy workmanship.
"That's something that will have to be addressed because the installation technicians don't seem to be following the instructions as they are supposed to," Dixon said.
Sallie James can be reached at sjames@sun-sentinel.com or 954-572-2019 |
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