Durability & Hazards

Use multiple methods to make your home resistant to damage from termites, especially Formosan subterranean termites, and other wood-destroying insects. Since basic controls and most state approved stand-alone treatments are not fool-proof, it’s wise to invest in a second line of defense or even a totally termite-resistant structure. Click here to find out how to make your home resistant to termites.

Louisiana homes are susceptible to damage from floods (rising water, including storm surge), wind (hurricanes, tornadoes and other strong winds) and water (heavy rains infiltrating the building. These hazards and coping with them, are explained more fully in this section.

Louisiana floods - from excess rain and poor drainage; from overflow of rivers, streams and bayous; from drainage channels backing-up; from storm surge; from levee failures.

Wind is the most common and most costly cause of damage to light frame structures in the United States. There are things you can do, however, to reduce the potential damage from high winds.

Adjusting certain elements of architecture, construction and landscaping can help in Integrated Pest Management.

Landscapers have not been greatly affected by subterranean termites, but they are increasingly challenged by the Formosan subterranean termite. The actions of landscapers impact the risks of subterranean termites. Landscapers should educate themselves on this and other subterranean termites and alter their practices to reduce the risk of subterranean termites entering structures and to slow the spread of the Formosan subterranean termite.

Many homeowners who own a property built of wood have had problems with wood-destroying organisms. In United States, termites, and decay fungus cause more than $2 billion in damage to buildings every single year. In order to protect their home from these organisms, homeowners need to know what to look for, how to treat problems that arise, and how to keep their homes free of decay and termites.

Here is a checklist you can use to take steps to make your home termite-resistant.

Is Retreating for Termites Necessary? Also find information on preventing formosan subterranean termites from spreading, disposing of termite infested wood and debris, transporting mulch and other wood debris, inspecting and retreating, signs of infestation and differences between termites and ants.

Use this checklist to explore and select features and components of a sustainable house in Louisiana.

Over the life of a product, more-durable and longer-lasting options are generally better investments. These options are also better environmentally because they reduce both solid waste and resource waste.

Architectural details should shed rainwater away from the foundations, doors, windows and walls of your home. This article contains important information regarding moisture control on roof leak reduction and leads to information on hot-humid and mixed-humid climate wall assemblies, water-managed foundations, air & humidity control, plumbing, long-lasting materials & equipment, and product warranties.

A drainage plane is the layer of water-resistant materials between the cladding and the framing that drains water to the exterior and keep leaks (at windows, doors and cladding) from wetting the framing and insulation. Layers must be lapped properly so water draining from higher points on the house is directed over (not behind) lower layers.

Learn how to protect your roofs and pipes from damages caused by hail and freeze hazards by reading this article.

Homeowners can design their homes to be built so as to minimize damages caused by flooding. Learning as much information as possible before starting the building process is important. This article gives information on Flood Insurance Rate Maps, the National Flood Insurance Program, base flood elevations, and more.

With few exceptions, if you live in Louisiana you should have flood insurance. Flood damage is not covered under your homeowner's insurance policy. A flood without insurance is a terrible financial setback.

Preventing wind damage involves strengthening areas where things could come apart. The walls, roof and foundation must be strong, and the attachments between them must be strong and secure.

Our predecessors in Louisiana, the Indians and the early Europeans, avoided floods by vacating the floodplains during flood season or by building their homes on the higher ground and, even then, on piers.

Flooding directly affects thousands of Louisiana citizens living in and near flood hazard areas.

Hip roofs (four-sided roof design) are more aerodynamic and inherently more resistant to uplift forces of high wind than gable end and other roof designs. If your home has a gable roof (two-sided pitched roof), the end wall takes a beating during a hurricane and typical framing methods create a vulnerable “hinge” line at the joint between levels. If not properly braced, it can collapse.

In addition to designing for flood damage reduction, here are several techniques you can use in building the home to reduce the potential for flood damage.

Any home repair or remodeling work you do presents an opportunity to help your home fare better in the next storm. Whether you are just replacing siding or you have damage that's requiring you to completely remove all the wall coverings – inside or outside – you can work to minimize future storm damage at every stage of the project.

Whether you are just replacing a few shingles or have damage that requires you to strip your roof down to the rafters, you can take steps at every stage of work to minimize future storm damage. In addition, for new construction and substantial remodeling or repair, you’ll have to meet residential building codes designed to reduce potential roof damage from storms.

If you live in Louisiana, your primary objective in raising a home is likely to be flood avoidance, even if you’re not in an identified flood hazard area. Elevation is the most effective on-site method of reducing future flood damage.

As a homeowner, you need clear information about the options that are available to reduce flood damage to your home and straightforward guidance on selecting the option that is best for you. Quite often this is a difficult task. By knowing the basic questions to ask, you are guided toward the investment in retrofitting that is appropriate for you.

In preparing for the upcoming hurricane season, federal officials urge coastal residens to prepare their dwellings, too.

Definitions of terms used in flood protection.

Maps developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that show where flooding may occur, and in what depths, in the New Orleans and Plaquemines areas during future hurricanes.

Find out your relative flood risk today. Simply enter your property information and FEMA will show you the relative flood risk to your property.

There is no single V-zone certificate used on a nationwide basis. Local communities and/or states have developed their own certification procedures and documents. This fact sheet contains information that explains the certification requirements for structural design and construction in V zones. SOURCE: FEMA 499 Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheet Series Technical Fact Sheet 5.

Homes in coastal areas must be designed and built to withstand higher loads and more extreme conditions. Homes in coastal areas will require more maintenance and more upkeep. Homes in coastal areas will cost more to design, construct, maintain, repair and insure. SOURCE: Home Builder's Guide to Coastal Construction Technical Fact Sheet Series (FEMA 499) Technical Fact Sheet 1.

Faculty and students from two LSU System campuses combined their talents and expertise to produce a state-of-the-art weather station that could be rolled into the path of a hurricane if one comes our way.

The Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale is a 1-5 rating based on the hurricane's present intensity. This is used to give an estimate of the potential property damage and flooding expected along the coast from a hurricane landfall. Wind speed is the determining factor in the scale, as storm surge values are highly dependent on the slope of the continental shelf and the shape of the coastline, in the landfall region. Note that all winds are using the U.S. 1-minute average.

The purpose of a safe room is to provide a space where you and your family can survive a tornado or hurricane with little or no injury. It is only safe when used wisely.

The National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) provides Increased Cost of Compliance (ICC)coverage to pay up to $30,000 for the cost of compliance with State or local floodplain managementlaws or ordinances (II1.D of the Standard Flood Insurance Policy (SFIP)). In the event the requiredmitigation measures are not completed within two years from the date of the state's or community'sdeclaration of substantial damage and order that mitigation measures be taken, the ICC claim cannotbe paid a

When building or planning to build you home, consider using fire resistance construction materials, especially roofing and cladding. Many property insurers offer premium discounts for these features.

Use this checklist to explore and select features and components of a hazard-resistant house in Louisiana.