Innovative Panelized Homes Stand Up to Hurricane Charley
Three panelized homes in the Port Charlotte, FL, area stood up well to the pummeling Category 4 winds of Hurricane Charley, according to a report by the Partnership for Advancing Housing Technology, thanks in large part to their innovative structural impact resistance.
In sharp contrast to the damage sustained by the rest of the neighborhood, two of the homes were completely intact and the third required a minor one-day repair to its roof membrane, which was punctured by an uprooted palm tree.
The homes were built by Home Front, Inc., of Venice, FL, for the Charlotte County Homeless Coalition.
The home manufacturer uses fiber-cement structural insulated wall panels that consist of two sheets of 5/16-inch cement board laminated to four-inch polystyrene foam, resulting in a breaking strength of approximately 7,000 pounds and an insulation R-value of 20.