Reinforce your roof this year

We’ve been lucky for many years and have not experienced the effects of a category four or five hurricane-strength winds on our homes, but recently during a very windy storm, you may have seen news footage showing a roof separating and lifting up from the house’s walls and were alarmed.

Murakami Roofing can help with some of the stress and provide a free roof inspection. Our roofing professional will make recommendations to protect your roof and home in the event of a hurricane.

ROOF STRUCTURE BASICS

Unless you have an open ceiling design, the structure of your roof is hidden from view by your ceiling treatment. If you have an open design, you can see the “ridge,” which is the apex or meeting point(s) between the sides of your roof. The ridge is held up by “rafters,” which are like bones on a rib cage. Alternatively, your roof may be held up by trusses, which are roughly triangle-shaped structures that make up the “ribs” of your roof.

HURRICANE CLIPS, STRAPS, TIES

The job of hurricane clips, straps and ties is to hold your roof down and attached to the walls of the house. They come in many variations, shapes and sizes, serving to reinforce and strengthen the attachment of the roof to the walls. Many roof videos use all three terms (and more) interchangeably.

IS MY ROOF STRONG ENOUGH?

Most roof structures are made of wood and the basic roof-to-wall connection is secured with nails and screws. Trusses and rafters often are required to use clips to attach to the roof’s ridge.

For hurricane protection, steel clips, ties and straps are nailed/ screwed into the wood and may form a stronger base plate, or a single clip may form a bridge between the roof and top wall plate. How many clips you will need is based on the size of your roof and its complexity.

TOENAILS, JOIST HANGOVERS

Toenails are diagonal nails driven through the side of the roof truss into the wall plate. Toenails are commonly used in older homes but don’t provide a lot of strength against hurricane winds. If your home was built in the 1950s or 1960s, you probably should get a roof inspection and get a recommendation from a Murakami Roofing consultant.

Joist hangers are used to hold pieces up or together, whereas hurricane ties hold the elements of the roof strutter down. For example, your ceiling is held up using a joist hanger.

FAQS

Q: Are hurricane clips and straps included in my new Murakami Roofing project?

A: The best time to include hurricane preventative measures is when you’re planning your new roof.

Q: What if I don’t need a new roof, but would like to replace hurricane ties that are embedded in concrete foundation and rusted?

A: Murakami Roofing recommends consulting a qualified structural engineer to inspect the soundness of your home’s foundation.

Q: Will Murakami Roofing rebuild my roof structure (ridge, rafters etc.) if it needs repair?

A: Yes, Murakami Roofing is able to plan and provide roof restoration. Restoration is often highly recommended for older homes.

MURAKAMI ROOFING LLC
CONTACT 808-348-8270
ADDRESS 45-558 Kamehameha Hwy. C-18, Kaneohe
EMAIL info@murakamiroofing.com
WEB murakamiroofing.com