Gables & Roof Tie Downs

RollShield: Protecting What Can’t Be Seen: Making the Difference

It's obvious, shutters can be seen, so they are the first things most people think of when protecting their home against high winds. But shuttering windows is only one of the recommended activities. It’s what you can’t see that can make a big difference.

In Florida, when we think of hurricanes our primary concern is the wind damage caused by hurricanes.

By anchoring the walls to the foundation, the first floor to the second floor and the walls to the roof, you establish a connection of roof to foundation and your home can resist the various forces that exist when winds push on your roof and walls, and penetrate your home.

Types of Mitigation

Water Barriers – Provide a sealed roof deck preventing significant water intrusion if pieces of your roof coverings (shingles) are blown away. This also provides additional insulation to make your home more energy efficient.

Anchoring, Roof-to-Wall – Reinforce your foundation-to-wall, floor-floor (multistory homes) and wall-to-roof connections to establish a continuous load path. A continuous load path allows your home to resist high-wind forces as a unit. Weak links in a load path are generally where damage occurs.

Gable Ends – Gables that are taller than 4 feet will benefit from reinforcing the framing and bracing the top and bottom of the gable. Generally, a licensed professional engineer is best to design a gable end bracing system appropriate for your specific location and home construction.

Window Openings – There are many options for window openings. Shatterproof glass windows are expensive, but eliminate the need to shutter before a storm. Clear, lightweight, cloth, electric and roll-down shutters exist to assist persons with varying disabilities.

Doorways – Doors, including garage doors, are best replaced with a hurricane-rated door. For existing garage doors additional bracing can be applied. Hurricane-rated garage doors are heavier and often in a storm power is lost, so electric openers won’t work.

Windstorm damage prevention infographic

Activities to strengthen roofs should focus on the following four areas:

  1. Improving the condition of the roof structure, especially bracing gable ends and reinforcing the connection between the trusses or rafters and the supporting wall.
  2. Making sure the roof deck sheathing is sound and nailed according to the appropriate standard for the Basic Wind Speed zone in which the home is located.
  3. Making sure the underlayment beneath the roof covering is sound, fastened appropriately, and can function as a secondary water barrier if the roof covering fails.
  4. Making sure the roof covering is appropriate for the Basic Wind Speed zone, is sound, and is appropriately fastened to the roof deck. An above-average season is forecast for the Atlantic basin this year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, expects 13 to 20 named storms, of which seven to 11 could become hurricanes, with three to six of those being Category 3 or above with sustained winds in excess of 111 mph.

There's much you can do now so you won't get caught making last-minute preparations to get your home ready for hurricanes.

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Customer Reviews

RollShield has a decades-long reputation for excellence in the Tampa Bay area. See what our customers have to say about us.

"This was our second home using RollShield. Our sales person was James and he got everything started for us. The items we wanted were verified and ordered in a timely manner. When everything was ready our installers arrived, removed the old awnings and completed the installation. Due to our construction they made an on site modification and that section came out perfect. Clean up was exceptional. I apologise for not having their names but I know they were from Albania. We would also like to mention and thank Emma, Kashana and our punch list guy Ron Branch . Thank you to all."

Denise S.

Tampa, FL

"I had an excellent experience with this company for my hurricane protection needs! Jane May provided outstanding service, demonstrating extensive product knowledge and offering a variety of solutions and options to suit my home. The service was top-notch, the product is high-quality, and the workers did an impeccable job with the installation. The communication from the office was also great, keeping me informed every step of the way. Highly recommend!"

Dallas

Tampa, FL

"We needed a service call on shutters installed by a different company probably 25 years ago. Donnie and Josh were on time and I immediately knew that Donnie had been doing this for a long time. He did a little engineering on site and got our old shutters working again! We will be making an appointment to get some new ones made for the front windows which were never protected. Very satisfied!"

Jim R.

Tampa, FL

"Experience from start to finish with JANE was professional and enjoyable- It’s refreshing having women in these careers. She was up front about lead times which I appreciated. Coming from a service field as well, I understand most of the process is out of the estimators control. I had impact windows installed just in time before the hurricanes start. Not only do I feel safer, my house looks sooo much better!! Thank you thank you!"

Stasia

Tampa, FL

"RollShield did a great job installing hurricane shutters on four of our windows. Ron Branch made an excellent impression. He went out of his way to make a special trip to get our installation finalized on time. These are high quality, lockable shutters that can protect against hurricanes and intruders. This is a great addition to a house for both protection and to increase value. Highly recommended."

Duane E.

Tampa, FL

"Very satisfied with Company performance.
The salesman -Pete- gave us several options for Hurricane screens. We decided to go with Crimsafe Safescape Hurricane screens. The installers - Giliyar and Aaron- were professional and fast( hint - give them a raise). Emma, Pat, Gwen were a big help guiding with permits, schedules, answering questions, etc. Would definitely use Rollshield, LLC again."

Yelena S.

Tampa, FL

"RollShield did a great job installing hurricane shutters on four of our windows. Ron Branch made an excellent impression. He went out of his way to make a special trip to get our installation finalized on time. These are high quality, lockable shutters that can protect against hurricanes and intruders. This is a great addition to a house for both protection and to increase value. Highly recommended."

Thomas K.

Tampa, FL

"We have relied on Rollshield for over 15 years, having installed their roll-up and hurricane shutters on our home, and they have performed flawlessly through numerous near-miss hurricanes. Their products have stood the test of time and weather, giving us confidence and peace of mind. So, when my wife and I recently decided to add Kevlar hurricane curtains to our lanai, it was an easy decision to turn once again to Rollshield. Although there were some initial miscommunications, the Sales Manager handled the situation promptly and professionally, ensuring everything was resolved to our satisfaction. The installation team did a fabulous job, professional, efficient, and timely. We are pleased with the final result and continue to trust in the quality and service Rollshield provides. I strongly recommend Rollshield for all your shutter and storm protection needs."

David M.

Tampa, FL