You can huff and you can puff, but does it really matter?

You can huff and you can puff, but does it really matter?

Here in the Sunshine State of Florida, we are known for many things.  Sunny skies, warm weather, beautiful beaches and some minor weather disruptions called hurricanes.  Over the years, and partially in response to the damage caused from hurricanes, Florida building codes have been continually strengthened and improved.  That does not mean that homes have become immune to the effects of Mother Nature, but at least they are built better than they have been in the past.

Another interesting phenomenon that has been occurring in Florida ever since Hurricane Andrew hit South Florida in 1992 has been the growth throughout the state of block housing construction.  While block housing had always been popular in South Florida, it has steadily been replacing frame construction in most parts of the state as the construction method of choice. 

One of the interesting side bars to the spread of block construction over frame construction is the belief that block construction is better than frame construction because it will provide better protection during a hurricane.  Sounds reasonable, right?  If the wind is blowing at 100 mph, it would stand to reason that block would do better than frame construction.  Seemed to work for the three pigs.

The funny thing is, the answer is not so obvious.  In reality, the concern over hurricane force winds are that they will get into the truss system and rip the roof off the house.  Luckily, building codes have changed to increase the hurricane tie down and strapping requirements so that this is not the same issue as it had been in the past.  Outside of flying debris or falling trees that can break windows and cause structural damage, one of the greatest hurricane risks to homes is flooding.  And, no, I am not talking about rising water flooding.  I am talking about driving rain flooding your home.  If your home floods because it is in a flood plain, it does not matter how your home is built.  Rising water floods all homes equally.

I know.  You think I am a bit crazy.  How will driving rain flood a home.  Isn’t that what roofs are there for, to stop water from coming into a home?  Yes, and no.  I agree that homes are built really well to stop rain water falling down from the skies from flooding your home.  However, a solid roof does little to stop rain that is blowing sideways and pelting the side of your home.  This is actually what caused a tremendous amount of the water intrusion problems from the back to back to back to back (you get the idea) hurricane season of 2004.  And this is also where block construction does not do as well as frame.  In block, construction, you typically have lathe and stucco placed on top of the exterior block.  While creating a nice finish to your home, it is still a porous substance.  The reason for this is that your home needs to breathe.  If it does not breathe, you can have moisture and mold issue (DISCLOSURE ALERT:  I am not an attorney.  I refuse to be dragged into a mold discussion here.  For those of you looking to get rich quick off of perceived mold in your home, please consult your local yellow pages for appropriate legal counsel.)  When you combine a porous substance with driving rain, guess what happens?  The concrete block soaks up the rain like a sponge.  Eventually, that water will seep through the block, run down the walls and soak your floors.  Viola! Water and flooding in the home.  The interesting thing is that frame construction is usually wrapped with a product called Tyvek.  This material, while not allowing water to penetrate it, is still a breathable substance to prevent the growth of moisture and mold.  No, I don’t know how it works.  It just does.

Hmm.  OK, let’s recap.  The concrete block, solid as a rock, home can soak up driving rain water like a sponge and soak your flooring.  The wood frame house with Tyvek, or comparable exterior wrapping, however, prevents driving water from penetrating the home.  And both home construction techniques have hurricane code tie downs on the roof to prevent the roof from blowing away.  Kind of creates a bit of a perception versus reality dilemma, doesn’t it.  So, next time someone tries to tell you that a concrete block home provides better hurricane protection than a home with frame construction, check around to see if there are any little pigs.  It is just possible that the pig in the frame home may be quite a bit drier than the pig in that big old block house.

Until next time.

Keep kicking the dirt.