Reap the Whirlwind Harnessing the' hurricane and earthquake retr.ofit market

[NTENSE investigation of damage llrom recent natural disasters has led to stricter building codes, and prescriptions for bringing older structures up to the current standards. Retrofit projects create tremendous sales opportunities for retailers familiar with the necessary products and techniques to sell them.

Two of the most common retrofit projects are installing anchoring systems that tie the wall, floor and ceiling into a single structural unit and installing structural wood panels to wall framing to create shear walls.

Tests have concluded that proper connections do more to hold a house together during an earthquake or hurricane than any other single design element. As a result, many building codes require that foundation plates or sill plates are bolted to the foundation, and the walls tied down to prevent overturning.

Yet, a common complaint among builders is that connectors such ai anchor bolts are tedious and difficult to install. Fortunately, newer connection systems are much simpler to install.

With the codes changes made in Florida in the wake of Hurricane Andrew, "the connectors that were available became very complicated, and what you ended up with were building contractors who were fed up and thought there had to be a better way," says hurricane resistant desisn technician Ward Gould. That aggr-avation led to a number of new products, including the Go-Bolt system, which provides a continuous tie from the foundation to the roof.

Bill Walker, marketing analyst for Simpson Strong-Tie, the largest man14 Trm Mrncnq,tr M.lc.lzrun Apnt ufacturer of connection hardware, says Simpson offers a wide range of specialized brochures on high windand earthquake-resistant connectors, a "Homeowner Guide to Retrofittins Wood Frame Homes" video, and evei a toll-free number for technical assistance (800-999-5099).

He sees retrofit ballooning over the next decade into a multi-billion dollar-a-year market, and not just at the request of homeowners, builders and code officials. "Now banks and insurance companies, when a home is resold, are asking people to retrofit," Walker says.

Some of the newest hurricane and earthquake code provisions require anchor bolt spacings as close as 24" on center. In some areas, older codes still prevail and they require foundation plates or sill plates to be bolted to the foundation with l/2" diameter bolts spaced no more than six feet apart. One bolt must be placed within 12" of each end of each section of the plate. The type of hardware needed depends on the type of foundation.

APA-The Engineered Wood Association suggests retailers stock the following types of anchors:

Poured concrete foundation walls o r s lab - on- g rade fo undation/v e rtic al bolting - L-bolts or J-bolts are the most popular in new construction. For retrofit applications, mechanical wedge anchor bolts are the most common and economical connector to fasten a house to its foundation. Produced in various types and sizes, the connectors can be used for concrete foundations only if there is enough workspace between the foundation and floor above to allow installation of the anchor using vertical bolting.

Poured concrete foundation walls/ horizontal bolting - In retrofit applications, horizontal bolting is necessary if there is minimal space between the foundation and floor. This procedure requires that an L-shaped structural steel plate be tied to the sill plate with lag screws and then tied to the foundation with horizontal, mechanical wedge-type anchor bolts.

Post and pier foundation connectors - For new construction, bent sheet metal connectors, with steel Tstraps and 2x4 bracing, can be used for post and pier foundations. The Tstraps attach the beam to the post while the connector binds the post to the pier. The sheet metal anchor should be pre-drilled, shop-fabricated, heavy gauge, and code-approved for its intended application.

Shear wall hold-down anchorsFor both new construction and retrofit, this system requires a steel bracket, anchor bolts to fasten the brackets to the foundation, and lag screws or machine bolts to attach the brackets to wall framing. A shear wall holddown anchor should be installed at each corner of the house or building, in accordance with the local building code.

Framing anchor connectionsUsed for both new construction and retrofit applications, these connectors transfer the wind or earthquake forces from one structural element to the next. Just as the walls should be tied down to the foundation. all of the other load-carrying elements also should be tied together. A large assortment of framing anchors are available for such applications.

Floor framing - Blocking between floor joists at supports helps prevent the joists from tipping and collapsing during an earthquake. Floor joists should be blocked or braced at all supports and fastened to the bandjoist and sill plate.

Another solid defense against earthquake damage is strengthening wood-frame homes by creating shear walls. According to APA, a shear wall is more than the sum of its parts. It's a system-a single unit that ties together the floor, roof, walls and foundation to give a building greater resistance to lateral loads. Both oriented strand board and plywood sheathing can be used to construct a shear wall.

The top of a shear wall is fastened to the second floor or roof framing and the bottom is fastened to the sill plate. The sill plate is, in turn, fastened to the foundation at regular intervals as required by local codes.

Most exterior walls of wood-frame buildings can become shear walls. Retailers can offer two options for shear wall construction. For retrofit projects, OSB and plywood sheathing can be applied directly to framing. In many cases, the original siding can be re-applied over the panels. Or APA panel siding nailed directly to blocked and anchored framing can serve as structural shear wall and exterior siding in one.

Modern building codes require seismic and wind design elements. Older homes that are not built to cur-

Story at a Glance

Hot hurricane and earthquake retrotit market offers fastener, panel sales opportunities.

rent codes may be candidates for retrofitting to withstand hurricanes and earthquakes. Retrofitting can be a do-it-yourself project or can be handled by a contractor. Retailers can expect both builders and homeowners to become aware of code changes and to need assistance in selecting products. New codes affect the products that customers buy when they come to your store and increase the number of questions about what to buy.