I live in an area where hurricanes are common. How can I be sure my fence will perform in a high wind area?
Homeowners should contact local building code officials to get recommendations on the wind-load guidelines in their area, which can have a significant impact on how well their fence systems will perform during stretches of bad weather. According to the National Academy of Sciences, the United States could see a dramatic increase in the frequency of conditions that feed severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes and storms with high winds. This potential weather trend should cause homeowners who live in storm-prone areas to take a second look at the durability of their fences.
The Miami-Dade County Building Code Compliance Office reviews a variety of building products, including fences, and is an excellent resource for homeowners throughout the United States. The office granted CertainTeed Corporation Notice of Acceptance (NOA) numbers for several of its Bufftech privacy and semi-private vinyl fence systems and SimTek privacy fence. These include Chesterfield and EcoStone privacy fence, Breezewood, Columbia and Imperial semi-private fence. Each of these products is designed for exceptional performance in high wind conditions.
These fence systems were designed to withstand wind speeds up to 75 miles per hour or three-second wind gusts up to 115 miles per hour, which complies with the High-Velocity Hurricane zones section R44003.1.2.1 of the Florida Building Code-Residential and section 1612.2.1 of the Florida Building Code-Building.
