Preparing For Storm Season

Hurricane Straps/Clips

Hurricane straps are designed to secure a rooftop unit to a roof curb. By doing this, the rooftop unit is more likely to withstand high wind gusts, thereby reducing the chance of the unit separating from the roof curb and causing damage to other equipment, people or the building itself.

The strap/clip requirements are determined by a combination of codes: Section 301.15 of the 2012 International Mechanical Code require “equipment and supports that are exposed to wind shall be designed to resist the wind pressures in accordance with the IBC." The 2012 IBC chapters 15 and 16 make determinations about roof securement with specific wind load requirements in section 1609.

In 2015, the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS) gave Connecticut one of the highest scores for state building codes among hurricane-prone coastal states. Connecticut scored 88 out of 100 points, up from a score of 81 in 2012, the first year IBHS ranked state building codes. The higher score is the result of the state's intent to adopt an updated code from the International Code Council. The updated code has more stringent requirements for roof tie-downs. As of today, the 2012 IBC codes have been adopted but it is up to the individual inspectors interpretation of the law to determine if the attachment to the roof are acceptable.

Over the last few years, Controlled Air, Inc. has made it a policy to install hurricane straps/clips on all new rooftop unit installations. Installed roof top units are secured to curbs using sheet metal clips made in-house by our sheet metal shop. Make sure your rooftop unit is prepped for this storm season with hurricane straps.

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