John Shishilla

Honor Construction Inspection Service is teaming up with Sharon Bunce of Keller Williams Realty. We will be at an open house located at 598 Empire Ave Palm Bay, this Sunday October 4th, starting at 12:00. We will be there to answer any questions and concerns you may have. Also offering discounts on wind mitigation services, which can greatly reduce your insurance premiums. Come see us! Refreshments will be served.

The last three sections of the Wind Mitigation is for Construction, Secondary Water Barrier and Opening protection.

A House is not always one construction type. Typically an addition may be another kind of construction like concrete block or frame. The OIR form wants us to specify the percentage of each, although they may not be readly visible.

Wall Construction Type: Check all wall construction types for exterior walls of the structure and percentages for each:
Wood Frame _________% Un-Reinforced Masonry _________%
Reinforced Masonry _________% Poured Concrete _________%
Other: ___________ _________%

A secondary water barrier is usually under shingles and is sometimes called peel and stick. This could be in a tape, placed to seam the seams of the wood roof. Felt paper could be replaced with a self adhering roll roofing material that covers the entire roof. Some foams sprayed under the roof will qualify also.

Secondary Water Resistance (SWR): (standard underlayments or hot mopped felts are not SWR)
SWR Self adhering polymer modified bitumen roofing underlayment applied directly to the sheathing or foam SWR Barrier (not foamed on insulation) applied as a secondary means to protect the dwelling from water intrusion.

No SWR

Opening protection also called shutters can also lower insurance rates. We are looking at the weakest or least amount of protection on the openings of the building. Openings include doors, windows, skylights, sidelights and garage doors. The best discounts come to those that have all openings covered with impact rated devices that meet the Florida building code or the Miami Dade code.

Opening Protection: What is the weakest form of wind borne debris protection installed on the structure? (Exterior openings include, but are not limited to: windows, doors, garage doors, skylights, etc. Product approval may be required for opening protection devices without proper rating identification)
Hurricane All exterior openings are fully protected at a minimum with impact resistant coverings, impact resistant doors and/or impact resistant glazing that meets the requirements of one of the following for “Large Missile Impact:
Miami-Dade County PA 201, 202 and 203
Florida Building Code TAS 201, 202 and 203
ASTM E 1886 and ASTM E 1996 (Missile Level C – 9 lb)
Basic All exterior openings are fully protected at a minimum with impact resistant coverings, impact resistant doors and/or impact resistant glazing that meets the requirements for “Small Missile Impact”.
Not Rated Only glazed openings are covered with; impact resistant coverings/products -OR- shutter protection devices manufactured before 1994 that cannot be identified as Miami/Dade or FBC product approved. This rating also applies to wood structural panels that do not meet the requirements of Section 1609 and Table 1609.1.4 of the 2004 FBC (2006 supplement).
Wood Panels Plywood/OSB meeting the requirements of Section 1609 and Table 1609.1.4 of the 2004 FBC (2006 supplement).
None One or more exterior openings are not coverd

It takes a trained and experienced inspector to know what qualifies and what does not. An inspector should have taken a sanctioned Wind Mitigation class and have experience in the building trade. Most insurance companies want a Licensed Contractor either Residential, Building or General Contractor to personally do the inspection. If you get an wind mitigation it is prudent to check their qualifications first, I have personally redone many inspections because they were rejected by the insurance company. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me or Honor Construction.

This is a simple two page form that can save thousands of dollars a year in insurance premiums and if done before closing could potentially greatly effect a buyers payments to escrow. It always can be done after insurance is purchased but is very useful when shopping for insurance. I recommend having them done with the home inspection and four-point inspection if needed.