FORTIFIED in Oklahoma

#FORTIFIEDinOK
#FORTIFIEDinOK is an outreach of the Disaster Resilience Network (DRN) through the DRN Housing Council. DRN, the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) and Smart Home America are promoting stronger, resilient homes in Oklahoma. We do this by sharing the IBHS FORTIFIED Home™ program for new and existing homes, especially by encouraging Oklahomans to get a FORTIFIED Roof™, your home’s first line of defense against severe weather. can be virtually eliminated using FORTIFIED standards. To email questions to the experts on our Oklahoma-based DRN Housing Council, please click here.

What is FORTIFIED Home™?
FORTIFIED is a nationally-recognized building method that goes beyond required building codes. The standards in this method strengthen residential and commercial buildings against specific natural hazards such as high winds, hail and hurricanes. FORTIFIED standards are based on more than 20 years of scientific research and real-world testing by IBHS.

FORTIFIED Home™ is a set of superior construction standards that helps homeowners strengthen their home against severe weather. IBHS engineers believe property damage from EF-0, EF-1, and low-level EF-2 tornadoes can be virtually eliminated using FORTIFIED standards. These are the majority of tornadic events in Oklahoma. FORTIFIED Home™ can be used for new or existing homes, and is affordable at any price point. With three levels of designation available—FORTIFIED Roof™, FORTIFIED Silver™, and FORTIFIED Gold™—builders can work with homeowners to choose a desired level of protection that best suits their budget and resilience goals. To get answers on frequently asked questions about FORTIFIED Home™ visit https://fortifiedhome.org/faqs/.

FORTIFIED Home™ High Wind & Hail Insurance Discounts in Oklahoma
Since April 2018, significant home insurance discounts have been available for FORTIFIED Home™ High Wind & Hail designated homes in Oklahoma. If you are looking into reroofing or building a new home soon, we strongly recommend that you ask your insurance agent if they offer discounts for reroofing or building FORTIFIED. (2018 Ponca City Now Article on insurance discounts )

FORTIFIED Roof™

IBHS created FORTIFIED Roof™ to help homeowners keep their roof on and keep water out during high winds, hailstorms, and severe thunderstorms. FORTIFIED goes beyond emergency and disaster preparedness to give you peace of mind knowing your roof is structurally resilient and will better withstand severe weather.

The roof is your home’s first line of defense against severe weather. Using simple techniques such as using ring shank nails, sealing the roof deck, and following prescribed and scientifically-tested installation techniques will help strengthen your roof’s performance during severe weather.

Your roof can receive either a FORTIFIED Home™ High Wind or a FORTIFIED Home™ High Wind & Hail designation. Because of the frequency of hailstorms in Oklahoma and availability of home insurance discounts, we encourage you to consider at FORTIFIED Home™ High Wind & Hail.

HAIL DAMAGE: As you consider re-roofing or building a new roof, you will want to review the recent IBHS lab testing on impact-resistant shingles - Shingle Performance Ratings.

Here are the steps you need to take if you want a FORTIFIED Roof:

1) Find a FORTIFIED-trained roofer or Evaluator- Homeowners can find a FORTIFIED-trained roofer who specializes in resilient roofing at fortifiedhome.org/directory or by having the qualified roofer of their choice follow the building standards for FORTIFIED™ Home High Wind & Hail. The same directory link can be used to find an evaluator and will be needed if you do not use FORTIFIED-trained roofer. There are trained, certified roofers and evaluators available in Oklahoma. Please email us if you have difficulties finding a roofer or evaluator through this directory.

2) Download the FORTIFIED Roofing Checklist (if needed)- The roofing checklist tells you and your roofer everything you need to know to get your FORTIFIED Roof™. This should only be needed if you use a qualified roofer of your choice who has not been FORTIFIED-trained. Use the High Wind checklist or the High Wind & Hail checklist

3) FORTIFIED-trained Roofer or Evaluator submits documentation- To receive a FORTIFIED designation, which can qualify a home for insurance discounts in Oklahoma, homeowners must have their roofer, or a FORTIFIED evaluator, submit required documentation confirming the requirements have been met to IBHS.

For more information about building stronger to reduce the risk of loss from severe weather, visit fortifiedhome.org/hail.

This FORTIFIED Roof™ Television Ad created by Griffin Communications for distribution in May and September 2020 for TV and digital media across the state of Oklahoma helps you visualize the benefits and techniques of the FORTIFIED building standards.

SILVER & GOLD FORTIFIED HOME™ LEVELS

FORTIFIED Gold™ for High Wind adds to the FORTIFIED Roof™ and FORTIFIED Silver™ requirements by tying the structure together.

It provides continuous load path connections to better tie your house together―keeping the roof connected to the upper walls, the upper walls connected to the lower walls, and the lower walls tied down into the foundation. Garage doors must meet adequate design pressure ratings. For information go to https://fortifiedhome.org/.

The IBHS video at left, “ The Importance of a Strong Continuous Load Path,” includes Dr. Chris Ramseyer, Ph. D. P.E. , Associate Professor, University of Oklahoma Director, Fears Structural Engineering Laboratory. It also references the May 20, 2013 New Castle / Moore Tornado as an example of how using FORTIFIED Home™ standards can “narrow the path of damage” of an EF-5 Tornado.