Hurricane Straps

Yesterday I received the hard copy of the temporary occupancy permit.  It listed the four items the Building Inspector mentioned during his visit: 1) establishing the final grade around the building, 2) covering the exposed foam insulation for the basement with a stucco-like material known as parging, 3) installing the well for the basement's egress window, and 4) putting a plug-in carbon monoxide detector in the basement.  However, the certificate also included a fifth item which the Inspector didn't mention: "Garage trusses need anchors to top plate."  In other words, hurricane straps.  These simple metal devices more firmly attach the roof structure to the walls so that the roof doesn't fly away in a high wind.

In one of my October blog posts, you may have seen a photo of Dave hammering hurricane straps into place inside the house.  I'm not sure if code requires straps for a garage.  But what the Building Inspector wants is what the Building Inspector gets!

Dave nails in the hurricane straps in October.

Straps can secure a roof against winds over 100 mph.

From the National Hurricane Center 

I suppose this might seem like overkill for a garage roof.  But then, the issue is probably where, in a windstorm, that roof might go once it leaves the garage!  If it blows into the house, the roof (or what is left of it) could cause considerable damage.  From that perspective, hurricane straps are a cheap fix.

I swept up most of the basement today, save for a pile of oak boards which Hap is supposed to remove.  Tomorrow I'll use my new shop vac (Home Depot got me again!) to finish the job.  I also arranged with a person in the neighborhood to help me de-dust the rest of the house tomorrow and Friday.  That will provide a dust-free environment for Mark and Jason, the painters, who will return on Monday and Tuesday to polyurethane the staircase.  By next Wednesday I hope to be sleeping in my new digs! •••