PATH - A Public Private Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology

PATH Natural Disaster Articles

[IMAGE: Force of Nature article published in Her Home Magazine.]


Force of Nature: When Disaster Strikes, Be Ready
HerHome, Winter 2007
This article is a simple primer on hurricane resistance for the everyday homeowner. Hand this article to your builder, and together, you can discuss what works best for your home.

Better Building Blocks for Better Homes
Professional Builder, October 2006
What goes up as easily as a standard concrete masonry unit structure but is just as strong, more energy-efficient and easier to work with because of its light weight? It's autoclaved aerated concrete, a pre-cast manufactured building block made from quartzite sand, lime and water.

Storm-Resistant Roofing
Professional Builder, March 2006
It only takes a moment for a hurricane or tornado to peel the roof off a house. And once the roof is incapacitated, the house is a sitting duck for further damage, if not total destruction. Your best defense: fasten the roof securely to the house and include multiple layers of moisture protection.

Rising Tides
Professional Builder, January 2006
Katrina. Rita. Wilma. The hurricanes of 2005 dramatically illustrate the importance of building durable, disaster-resistant homes. As rebuilding begins in the South, PATH suggests some changes in building materials and practices that will make new homes more flood-resistant.

Preparing for the Next Flood
Alabama HomeBuilder, November/December 2005
The devastation of the 2005 hurricane season presents a stark reminder of the importance of building durable, disaster-resistant homes. Alabama builders and remodelers can make a marked difference in their homes' ability to withstand flooding through simple changes in materials or practices - changes that will make new structures more durable than the ones that stood before.

Hurricane Construction: Thermal Mass Walls
Professional Builder, October 2005
An increasing number of homes are built with concrete walls every year - up from 3 percent to more than 16 percent over the past decade, according to the National Association of Home Builders. Concrete walls offer customers greater comfort, lower energy bills, termite and moisture resistance and superior resistance to fire and wind. Precast insulated concrete sandwich, or thermal mass walls, also offer builders speed of construction - for instance, Dow Chemical Company's Styrofoam precast T-Mass walls can be erected in as little as a day.

Building for Survival in Hurricane Country
Professional Builder, July 2005
Last year's devastating hurricane season was a wake-up call for home builders and homeowners alike. According to one survey, the storms damaged one out of every 10 houses, apartments and manufactured homes. The storms left in their wake not only shocking destruction, but also a lesson about the importance of hurricane-resistant design and construction.

Ashes and Opportunity
Professional Remodeler, July 2005
Whether remodeling, adding a room, restoring fire damage or doing repairs and replacements, contractors can help homeowners avoid repeat or potential fire disaster.

Technology vs. Nature
Professional Builder, August 2003
Here's PATH's list of building practices you can adopt to improve your homes' odds of weathering major storms.

Content updated on 5/21/2007

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