How To Read and understand A Wind Mitigation Form
So, you had a wind mitigation inspection. The inspector has done their job and you’ve received the completed form. Now what? What does it mean? The form has a lot to be desired on readability! 😳
First off, the form is broken down into 7 sections: Building Code, Roof Coverings, Roof Deck Attachment, Roof to Wall Attachment, Roof Geometry, Secondary Water Resistance (SWR), and Opening Protection. The inspector will look at all the corresponding areas of the home and fill out the form accordingly. Now we’re going to break it down for you and explain each of these sections. We can’t tell you what kind of credit might be given but we can tell you how to interpret the information.
Building Code
This is based off the year the home was built and isn’t something you can change or upgrade, even if the home was completely rebuilt from the ground up. If your home was built in 2002/2003 or later “A” will be checked, anything older will fall under “C”. This is date specific because of the Building Code (FBC 2001) that went into effect at that time.
(Option B is only valid for Miami-Dade or Broward counties)
Roof Coverings
You guessed it! The inspector is checking what kind of material is on the roof. This section has two parts. The first part the inspector will be listing: The permit application date, Product approval number (if available), The year of installation, or No information provided. The second part is filled out based on the dates of the roof(s) installation.
Roof Deck Attachment
This section deals with how the roof is installed. From the type of nails and how they are spaced to the type of sheathing or decking (plywood, OSB, Dimensional lumber). New roofs are put down using 8D nails every 6 inches, whereas older roofs may have used 6D nails or staples spaced 6 to 12 inches apart.
Roof to Wall Attachment
If you’ve heard the term “clip” or “third nail”, this is where is matters. The inspector needs to look at how roof is attached to the structure and determine the WEAKEST connection. In order to qualify for anything other than toe nail, you must have metal connectors that have a minimum of three nails. If you have “clips” but they don’t have at least three nails at every truss, it will be marked toe nail on this form. Sometimes the inspector can’t see the end of the truss due to a low sloped roof, no attic access, or stored items. In this case the inspector may get permission to gain access through the soffit to see if the connections are visible.
If this is something you need and would like a quote, we recommend working with Maximum Solutions @ thirdnail.com.
Roof Geometry
Shape of the roof. We have 3 options: Hip, Flat or Other. Certain roof shapes, such as hip roofs, are aerodynamic in nature and reduce the chances of uplift or detachment of roofing materials. Under most circumstances you’re not going to change the shape of your roof, but this is something to keep in mind if adding an addition to the home. If you have a hip roof, you certainly wouldn’t want to have that credit taken away!
Secondary Water Resistance (SWR)
Most roofs have some kind of water barrier, but this is specific to self-adhering or peel-and-stick types. SWR provides additional protection against water intrusion during wind-driven rain and add an extra layer of defense against potential water damages.
Opening Protection
This is where hurricane protection for windows and doors come in to play. First thing to note is in the chart below openings are broken out into “Glazed Openings” and “Non-Glazed Openings”. Easiest way to explain is the term “Glazed” translates to glass. So, glazed openings refer to windows, sliding glass doors, skylights or any other opening that has glass (this includes a garage door that has glass windows). An example of a non-glazed openings would be a solid front door, side door or solid garage door. Another thing to keep in mind, it’s all or nothing! Every glazed opening must have some type of hurricane protection or coverage to qualify for any potential credit.
Using the chart above, the inspector will check the corresponding boxes below. Glazed opening will determine which letter is checked. The Non-Glazed openings will determine the number below the letter in that same section.
Example: All the glazed openings above are checked in rows “N/A” and “A”. The non-glazed openings are checked in rows “X”. Below would show “A.3.”
If any items in the glazed openings section above is checked in row “X”, no credit will be given below.
Clear as mud? 🙂
If you take some time to go through the different sections of the wind mitigation inspection form, you can get a better idea of the strengths and weaknesses of your property when it comes to windstorms. This can help you make informed decisions about insurance coverage and take necessary measures to mitigate any risks. Armed with this knowledge, you may be able to secure more favorable policy quotes. I hope this helps! 😊
