FORTIFIED Commercial Levels of Resiliency

When severe weather strikes, FORTIFIED Roof keeps the roof on and the rain out.

 

FORTIFIED Silver includes the protection of FORTIFIED Roof and adds additional protection to vulnerable and often overlooked components, including parapets, doors and windows.

For ultimate protection choose FORTIFIED Gold. It includes all the protection of FORTIFIED Roof and Silver and requires that your business’s entire structure is tied together forming a continuous load path.

 

 

The FORTIFIED Program at a Glance

 

FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes, and even tornadoes.

ROOF - Keep Wind and Water Out and Roof-Mounted Equipment On
  • Stronger roofing system designed to provide better protection against severe wind
  • Gutters and downspouts designed and tested for outstanding performance
  • Sealed roof deck required for steep-sloped roofs
  • Superior skylights designed and tested to withstand water intrusion and large missile impact
  • Roof-mounted equipment must be designed for increased wind pressures
SILVER - Protect the Envelope and Reduce Business Operations Downtime
  • All FORTIFIED Roof requirements must be satisfied 
  • In hurricane-prone regions: All windows and glazed openings must be impact-rated or protected to minimize water and wind/wind pressure intrusion 
  • Wall systems must be impact-rated 
  • Exterior doors must be impact-rated or protected 
  • Parapets and false fronts must be adequately braced and anchored 
  • Electrical and mechanical equipment must be protected from flood/water damage 
  • Electrical connections must be installed to easily connect backup power 
GOLD - Keep the Building Tied Together and Maintain Business Operations
  • All FORTIFIED Silver requirements must be satisfied 
  • Load path must be engineered and verified 
  • Canopies must be adequately anchored/supported 
  • Backup power must be provided 

Which Level is Right for Your Project?

The National Standard for Resilience

FORTIFIED Roof
FORTIFIED Silver
FORTIFIED Gold

Enhanced Roof Deck Fasteners

When severe weather hits, keeping your roof deck attached to your home is key to blocking storm pressure and rain from entering your home. IBHS testing shows that switching from common smooth nails to 8D ring-shank nails and decreasing the space between nails, can double the uplift your roof can withstand.

Upgraded Roof Cover System

If wind rips off your roof covering (like shingles, metal panels or tiles), it exposes the wood beneath and allows water to pass through the gaps and enter your home. IBHS testing shows that for every inch of rain to hit an exposed roof deck, the equivalent of nine bathtubs of water can pour in and cause significant interior damage. By sealing the seams of your roof deck, you can reduce that water-intrusion by up to 95%!

ES-1/FM-4435 Tested Roof Flashing

Roof damage often begins when wind gets underneath the roof edge and begins ripping it away from the home. To help protect this vulnerable area, FORTIFIED requires specific materials and installation methods, including a wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip, that when used together create a stronger edge system.

Pressure-rated Gutter Systems

In hail-prone areas, FORTIFIED requires shingles tested by IBHS to show they can withstand hail up to 2 inches in diameter. These shingles outperform typical Class 4 shingles when tested against realistic hailstones and will better protect your home.

Wind and Rain Resistant Vents

During severe-weather events, high winds can pull typical attic vents loose, giving the storm a pathway into your home. Even when it doesn’t pull vents loose, wind can drive rain almost sideways, allowing it to enter your home through vents that are not designed to prevent it. To keep this from happening, FORTIFIED requires attic vents that are wind and rain resistant.

Exposed Fasteners are Corrosion Resistant

When rain and storm pressures penetrate a home, damage quickly escalates. That why it is so important to defend openings like doors and windows. FORTIFIED requires window and door protection that is tested to withstand both pressure and impact.

Impact Resistant* & Pressure Rated Skylights

Keeping winds and pressure from entering your home is critical for its survival in a storm. Both can easily come through a failed garage door, and once this happens, it’s common to see blown-out walls and collapsed roofs. FORTIFIED prevents this scenario by requiring garage doors rated to withstand high pressures, and in hurricane-prone areas, garage doors with windows to be rated to withstand impact from windborne debris.

Mechanically Secured Roof-Mounted Equipment

High winds can tear chimney framing off the roof of the home, leaving a hole in the roof and allowing rain to easily enter, which typically leads to significant interior damage. FORTIFIED requires chimneys to be anchored to the home to help spread the load and prevent tear-offs.

Wind-resistant Lightning Protection System

IBHS testing shows that when wind drives rain almost sideways, it can actually be blown up under your roof overhangs. Your soffits should prevent that water from sneaking into your attic, but in typically-built homes, soffits are often hung with inadequate support. this allows them to be easily blown and gives wind-driven rain easy access to your home. FORTIFIED requires extra bracing and some additional fasteners to keep the soffit in place.

Pressure-rated Windows & Doors

High winds can flow under the roof of a carport or porch, and if the structure is not properly anchored, it can not only lift up like a kite―it can take part of your house with it. FORTIFIED requires strong anchors and proper connections to prevent this type of damage.

Impact Protection for Windows & Doors*

Post-disaster studies show that unbraced gable ends are a critical weak link for homes attacked by high winds. By requiring additional bracing, FORTIFIED stops wind from collapsing this section of a home.

Impact* & Pressure-Rated Garage Doors

When severe weather strikes, keeping the storm pressure out is absolutely imperative. One of the easiest ways for it to barge into your home is through doors and windows. Once inside, storm pressure pushes outward on your walls and roof and can cause catastrophic damage to the structure of your home. Fortunately, you can defend against this by using windows and doors that are properly rated for the weather you face.

Impact* and Pressure-Rated Exterior Walls (Exposure Category C or D)

No matter what direction the wind is coming from, your walls will take the brunt of it. If they fail, wind and rain will ravage your home. This is why FORTIFIED requires thicker, impact resistant structural sheathing that can resist flying debris.

Parapets Engineered for Wind and Pressure

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Engineered Equipment Screens

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Engineered Gable End Bracing

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Flood Protection for Electrical Equipment

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Flood Protection for Mechanical Equipment

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Connections for Backup Power*

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Engineered Continuous Load Path

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Engineered Attachments of Accessory Structures

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Anchored Cantilever Overhangs

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.

Backup Power for Critical Business Operations

Storm after storm, we see homes completely leveled. FORTIFIED reduces the risk of this happening to your home by requiring a continuous load path, which means your roof-to-wall, story-to-story, and wall-to-foundation connections are engineered to withstand the wind and pressure your home is likely to face in a severe storm. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to keeping the roof on and the home in place when high winds or hurricanes threaten.
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* Required in Hurricane Prone Areas Only
** Required for the optional Hail Supplement to a FORTIFIED designation.
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Chart is for illustrative purposes and does not include all requirements of FORTIFIED Commercial. Please review standards for full details.

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