How to Reinforce Roof to Avoid Storm Damage

Pace asks,

I live in an area prone to hurricanes and want to strengthen my roof. My house was built in the mid 1980s before local codes were updated after Hurricane Hugo. One solution would be to screw the roof decking to the rafters, but I am still five years away from needing to re-shingle my roof. Is there something I can do from the attic side? My roof is not insulated, the insulation is in the attic floor. Would applying a spray-on insulation to the underside of the roof have the added advantage of strengthening the attachment between the decking and rafters?

Our Answer

Pace, in a severe storm, combined wind forces will try to lift your roof off the house. Adding spray foam insulation, while a fantastic way to lower your energy costs, will have no effect on that.

The best option for an existing home is to reinforce the roof by adding strapping and other forms of hardware design to connect the rafters to the exterior walls of the house. There are a wide array of options for this but many straps and ties are made by Simpson Strong-Tie.

This type of retrofit project is best left to pros. It’s difficult work requiring access to tight spaces and solid workmanship to assure the reinforcements are effective. Much of this would be easier when you replace your roof, but if you don’t want to chance it — have a pro tackle the project sooner.

Popular Mechanics also has an excellent story on how to reinforce your home for a storm that you might find helpful.