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Ophir is a contemporary home for a family in New Zealand that lost its previous home in an earthquake. Architect’s Creative constructed it with raw steel, concrete, and timber, ensuring that no such tragedy happens again. The concrete walls extend outward at the edges and firmly anchor the house into the mountainous landscape around. Another incredible characteristic of this kinetic architecture is its ability to attain fuel from air pollutants. So basically, the house gets two birds with one stone; it gains the energy to run itself while purifying the surrounding environment.
Windows and Doors: Fortifying Weak Points in Your Tornado-Proof House
In natural-disaster-prone areas across the United States, homeowners are building houses designed to withstand a multitude of possible calamities. The design of your home plays a crucial role in its ability to withstand tornadoes. Consider a cylindrical or dome-shaped structure, as these shapes are inherently more resistant to high winds. Reinforcing walls, roofs, and windows with impact-resistant materials can also help mitigate damage.
How to Build Tornado Resistant House Kits
The term “tornado-proof” isn’t ironclad, but you can take several steps to protect your home from tornadoes. The best way to tornado-proof a house is to fortify the roof with clips and straps and install impact-resistant windows. Impact-resistant doors can also stop strong windows from entering your home and destroying your belongings.
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An Ingenious Home Built to Battle Tornadoes - Bloomberg
An Ingenious Home Built to Battle Tornadoes.
Posted: Thu, 03 Oct 2013 07:00:00 GMT [source]
You can even put important documents, such as birth certificates, in your tornado shelter to protect them. The last thing you want to do is lose your birth certificate, social security card, or medical documents in a tornado. You can install tornado shelters in your basement, garage, and even under your garage.
Earthquake risk, explained
Since collective property damage in the event of an earthquake stretches state resources, some government municipalities offer grants to encourage homeowners to retrofit their homes. In California, the California Earthquake Authority (CEA) offers qualifying homeowners a premium discount of up to 25%. Earthquake related building codes have evolved tremendously in the past 100 years. If your home was built before the most recent wave of codes, you may want to retrofit the structure to improve safety. Homeowners who overlook earthquake safety put their home and family at risk for physical and financial damage. Unlike other natural disasters, there’s no way to predict when the next earthquake will strike, meaning last-minute preparation is not an option.
Reinforced Window and Door Frames
The topography and elevation of your chosen site play a significant role in the likelihood and severity of tornado activity. Higher elevations tend to experience less intense tornadoes, as the terrain disrupts the formation and progression of tornadoes. Conversely, low-lying areas and valleys can create ideal conditions for tornadoes to develop and intensify.
FEMA
To find out the name and contact information of your state’s emergency management agency, type your ZIP code into FEMA.gov’s location search tool. First, research your home’s location to understand how proximity to fault lines and other natural features could influence the severity of an earthquake’s impact. Dr. Jensen also recommends reaching out to the city, county, or state’s emergency management agency for a detailed risk overview. “We lost the roof of the garage and screened-in porch, and all the windows were broken,” says homebuilder Randy Settersten of Settersten Builders. Still, he estimates that progress will be back to where it was the day before the storm within two to four weeks from the date of the storm.
It will be small, expensive, and made of concrete, but that's a small price to pay when compared to the cost of rebuilding after disasters or preventing loss of life. The glass itself is a hazard, but the wind that enters your home can wreak more havoc. Hurricane-proof windows are enough to defend against the extreme pressure and impact that come with tornadoes.
Inspecting Structural Elements
When the house is secured for safety, a watertight seal would protect it from intense winds and thunderstorms. Contact your insurance provider or read their policies if you aren’t sure whether they cover tornado damage. However, it’s worth it to switch to a different provider if your current company doesn’t provide this coverage. You must also secure your outdoor furniture, grills, and trampoline with ratchet straps and braided wire. That way, the wind won’t carry them toward your home and damage the structure.
Look for kits offering various customization options, such as different finishes, sizes, and layouts. In addition, they are often more affordable than custom-built homes, making them a more accessible option for homeowners. When you earthquake-proof your home, you put yourself in a position of power when an earthquake strikes your community. You reduce the risk of property damage, the chance of family members getting injured, and the need to rely on government support services which may be inundated. • The walls, ceiling, and door should be able to withstand winds of up to 250 miles per hour, flying debris, and windborne objects. Hong Kong-based architecture firm 10 Design is attempting to prove that it is possible to build a tornado-proof home.
You can expect to spend between $2,500 and $14,000 to replace all your windows. Between labor and materials, you may spend up to $1,000 per window, depending on its size. While it may not always be feasible to avoid tornado-prone areas entirely, minimizing your proximity to these regions can significantly reduce the risks. Research the historical tornado activity in the area and consult tornado frequency maps to identify regions with lower tornado occurrence rates. Here’s a look at considerations when evaluating the best tornado-resistant kit. Even more admirable, California decorators, creators, and tastemakers understand the historic importance of place, paying homage to the landscape around them and the makers who came before them.
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