Storm season is coming, and with it, a heightened sensitivity to protecting jobsites and the durability of homes down the road. Resiliency is all about a home’s ability to be re-inhabited after a natural event. Builders are now adopting methods and products to build roof decks designed to withstand wind-driven rain in a high wind event. Incorporating “sealed” roof decks not only helps protect the most vulnerable area of a home should storms blow the roof covering off a finished home, but with integrated sheathing that eliminates the need for felt, it can also help achieve a quick, rough dry-in during construction.
Next-generation engineered panel system, ZIP System® sheathing and tape, has an integrated roof underlayment that eliminates the need for felt and is completed with an advanced acrylic tape at panel seams for a strong, water-resistant sealed roof deck. When used in roof assemblies, ZIP System sheathing and tape helps meet FORTIFIED Home™ national resilient building standards. FORTIFIED Home™ is a program of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). IBHS is a nonprofit research and communications organization that aims to strengthen homes, businesses and communities against natural disasters and other causes of damage. The FORTIFIED Home national resiliency standard aims to mitigate disaster-related risk through the use of innovative construction techniques. Builders and homeowners seeking a FORTIFIED Home certification for potential insurance benefits are inspected by a FORTIFIED Homes professional and certified at a bronze, silver or gold level.
At a minimum, FORTIFIED Homes call for a sealed and taped roof deck as part of its roof assembly requirements, which can be easily achieved with ZIP System Sheathing and Tape.* Because the water-resistive membrane is manufactured into panels, the system installs quickly and includes protection against water intrusion at panel seams with high-performance ZIP System™ flashing tape.
This streamlined sealed roof deck can be a strong component in increasing a home’s resiliency. In many areas, residential building codes do not require a sealed roof deck. However, a simulated hurricane test conducted by IBHS demonstrates how a FORTIFIED Home-detailed roof assembly with a sealed roof deck can prevent uplift and water and wind penetration.
“I would encourage any builder looking for more resilient construction practices to visit disastersafety.org to see the video IBHS produced during this test. The numbers are staggering, and the difference in damage between a home with a sealed roof deck versus one with an unsealed deck is dramatic,” said Matt Minchew, general manager of ZIP System roof applications.
To learn more about ZIP System sheathing and tape in roof applications, visit ZIPSystem.com/Roof.
*FORTIFIED Home™ is a program of the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS). Not all homes built using ZIP System® sheathing and ZIP System™ tape will qualify for a FORTIFIED Home designation. Homes require compliance with all FORTIFIED Home™ technical requirements and inspections. Visit fortifiedhome.org for details.
