| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 10/24/2005 2:24:18 AM PDT by Jim Robinson, reason:
New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1508056/posts |
Posted on 10/22/2005 1:25:10 PM PDT by NautiNurse
Oh definitely, get the garage door first. That's the number one point of failure in high wind loads.
The garage door folds inward, the wind "pressurizes" the house while the outside wind creates lower pressure and lift over the roof, the roof lifts taking sections of wall with it sometimes, and it's all downhill from there.
I can show you aerial images of entire neighborhoods where houses on one side of the street failed in a twister, nothing left but bare slabs, while houses on the opposite side of the street survived with missing shingles. Flimsy garage doors facing into high winds are bad news.
If you've got a step up from the garage door into the house, opposite the garage door, you can use it to wedge a brace against the big overhead door. If it's block, then spread the load with a 4 foot or longer timber against the lip before placing the brace.
If you have the material a T-brace will carry more than a simple 2-by brace. Stand a 2x4 or 2x6 on edge, place one flat, centered on top of it, and don't be stingy with 16 penny spikes. If you stagger the joints at least 6 or 8 feet, you can construct a brace of almost any length.
Be sure to spread the load as much as possible at the door end too, in such a way as to prevent the door end of the brace from sliding up the door when it wants to flex inward. No matter how tight you wedge it, gusts will cause it to work loose and it won't do any good.
If you can't manage a long brace, then just reinforce the door across from side to side in an X pattern. If you have the material, T those up too, you'll get a lot more stiffening out of them if you do.
I'll walk a normal 2x12 laid flat at second story level up till 12 feet long, but with 2x6's nailed to the sides I'm comfortable with 24 foot lengths unsupported in the middle.
Raising a solemn beer in memory of your late great patio with not even a subtle wink to acknowlege your true feelings in the matter.
"She was a good porch, but now she's gone, may she rest in peace forevermore."
Outer band headed for Key West per Weather Channel.
It helped.
I brace my garage doors with 2x4's and the car bumpers. Stand a 2x4 or two vertically in front of the door, with the top end above the door jamb. Carefully back the car up against the 2x4. You can nail or bolt at the top to hold the boards also. May not be a perfect solution, but it's better than doing nothing ;-}
(: :::grinning::: :)
Oh, if you do brace your doors, be sure and unplug the openers until you remove the braces. Don't want the doors moving with power glitches!
Just looked outside and cars from two more houses down the block are leaving. I don't know where they're going at this point. A shelter, or hooking up with family elsewhere, I suppose. It's too late to get out of Wilma's way now.
Max Mayfield with the NHC is coming up in a few mins. on Fox.
And please God, grant that it's not in someone else's living room!
Thanks! I'm going to hit the garage in 10 minutes. If you want a laugh, I'm roasting 3 batches of coffee in anticipation of losing power for at least 3-5 days. I can deal without electricity, but it's beyond a man's limitations to expect them to go without coffee...
BTW- That last "wind penetration" graphic is excellent. I hunted them down a NOA. Very informative, I'd never seen them before, and they answered the right questions at the right time.
So far all reports correspond with F2 damage, partial or total roof failures, but most walls still standing. Not surprising as the measured winds from Wilma fit right in the middle of the F2 range.
http://www.tornadoproject.com/fscale/fscale.htm
Still looking for comprehensive surge damage reports from the lagoon wall at Cancun. Photos from your link indicate that most structures avoided major structural damage (no more wondering where the floating glass came from though, the Flea Market was a major contributor) but discovery of isolated catastrophic failures are still possible.
It's Ed Rappaport - tropical storm-force winds out to 220 miles, almost out to the Keys.
Circulation is expanding per NHC. The first squall is expected in the Keys within an hr. Cat. 3 conditions possible in the SW Keys. (Ed Rappaport)
Had me going too. I clicked on at least five images before I noticed that.
Hmmmm...are you on the water or otherwise in a flood zone?
NHC update - In about an hour, tropical-storm winds will start to hit the keys. 5 ft storm surge in the Keys, 13 feet in SW Florida (make it 8 and 15 if Wilma strenghtens). Landfall between Ft Myers and Naples about daybreak, with SE Florida expected to get Cat 1-2 winds, and SW Florida/Keys getting Cat 2-3 winds.
bump
"Vermonter (and Guenevere) wrote:
"I brace my garage doors with 2x4's and the car bumpers. Stand a 2x4 or two vertically in front of the
door, with the top end above the door jamb. Carefully back the car up against the 2x4. You can nail or
bolt at the top to hold the boards also."
Oh, I like that a lot better. Do that.
To heck with all that nailing and cutting I suggested.
What worries me is the possibility of waterspouts. There are no barrier islands directly opposite my area. To the north, there's Key Biscayne, and to the south, there's Sands Key, which is followed by the rest of the Florida Keys. So there's a large gap where I am. If a waterspout forms out there in Biscayne Bay in my area, there's nothing to block it or slow it down if it comes at Cutler Ridge.
So, what time are you leaving this afternoon?
Is it too late to ask Gazoo to make Wilma disappear?
Gazzzzooooooo!!!
LOL
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.