Palm Coast, Florida (PRWEB) February 19, 2006 – Flagler County building code may not be stern enough to protect your home in the course of an active hurricane season. At this time, building code requires that newly constructed homes in Palm Coast must be built to withstand 110 mph winds if the home is built inland, and 120 mph winds if the home is located on the coast. Most new homes are built to discharge code protocol, and very few builders feed the home buyer with extra protection from storm amount. After the devastating hurricane seasons of the last two years, and forecasters predicting an active season, the current codes may not run as much protection home buyers think.



Hurricane building codes underwent a overhaul after Hurricane Andrew shattered Homestead in 1992. Because of this highly publicized overhaul, many consumers believe that homes hypothesis under the new building codes will withstand a major hurricane. In most areas of Florida, this is not true. Today very hardly any Florida Counties have adopted the Dade County hurricane code requiring that homes be body to withstand a major Category 4 hurricane. Flagler County is not one of the few.

The good news for Florida home buyers is that they can live in Eastern Flagler County and still have more protection from hurricane damage. Affordable Florida Homes Inc. is one building company that has current projects in Palm Coast and is present Florida home buyers a safer unorthodox to the industry standard. AFHI builds all of their homes to withstand at least 140 mph winds. That is the equivalent Category 4 hurricane protection that is compulsory in Dade County.

According to company representatives, AFHI is able to reach these higher safety standards by building their homes with 6 inch thick, poured concrete walls. Solid concrete offers a great deal of protection versus wind damage and damage from wind-bourn projectiles. www.SolidConcreteHomes.com (Solid concrete construction) also provides greater protection from the revelation and water damage that often accompany major hurricanes. The roof structure of AFHI homes are built using tougher 5/8 inch CDX plywood roof decking, heavy duty trusses and zealous hurricane truss straps than required by building code. 140 mph wind rated, insulated windows complete the upgraded building package.

When enquired why AFHI began building their homes above hurricane code, a company spokesperson said, “As a family owned Florida home builder, it is our duty and duty to build the safest home possible. At the same time, we must strive to keep our Florida homes affordable for our home buyers. As long as market conditions tolerate, we will go the extra mile when it comes to building a safe and sound home that is loaded with many upgrades and design structure".

Company officials give access that building a home so far above code requirements does cost more, but point out that it is less costly to pay for a higher quality above code home than it is to rebuild a home that has live through Spartan hurricane damage. AFHI representatives were rapid to state that they do not acclaim that their homeowners stay in areas that have been evacuated by County officials. The purpose of above code construction is not to incite homeowners to ignore evacuation orders, but to ensure that homeowners have a home to proceeds to after the storm.

The hurricane seasons of 2004-05 served to recap Floridians that hurricane preparedness is key. Choosing a home that is built to withstand a major Category 4 storm with at least 140 mph winds is a step toward confirm the welfare of residents and their cherished possessions.