To Board or Not to Board..

[katie blue]

..It's a big question for us. Any advice appreciated here. We have a little house about 2 houses back from 30-A, maybe 150 yards off the shoreline altogether. It's a one-story 80's ranch (vinyl siding/tin roof). Is there really any major benefit to boarding up a house like this when faced with a Category 3 or above?

We wouldn't be able to get there until about lunchtime Saturday (unless we cancel the gig on Friday..), but luckily we have the boards pre-cut and labeled from Ivan. We could be out of there by evening probably.

Is it just insane to think of coming down under these circumstances? We're beginning to think so. Anyone who might have a thought for us, please share it. thanks guys... kate

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

Katmoo,

No one on this board will make that call for you. There are just too many variables--strength of the storm, when it will hit and where it will hit. The size of the storm will determine how far away from the eye that the strong winds will be felt.

As you know (since your house is one street over from mine) except for the beach access, we had no damage from Ivan. However, there is no way of telling about this storm. Just keep watching. I think the locals won't decide until Friday night/Saturday morning. We'll let you know. I know many people who have come down, boarded up and then gone straight back to Birm. or Atlanta. When we evacuated for Ivan we didn't leave until early Wed. morning and the storm hit later that afternoon. We had absolutely no traffic on 331 and very little slow down on I-65. So, there is something to be said for waiting until the last minute. You probably could wait until Saturday to come down if you need to and you'd have plenty of time.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Then again, if the storm picks up speed, the bridges may close early and you might be staying in SoWal to ride it out.

 

[katie blue]

yeah, i don't think we'll be driving down. we're prepared to flow with it, whatever happens. we actually have more of a sense of calm about this one than Ivan, not sure why. one thing Ivan (and this forum) taught me is that houses can be rebuilt, and ultimately, the beach will prevail. if we let it. No matter what. And that's the real issue.

I guess what i was really trying to get at was more of a structural question on how smaller/older houses like mine tend to fare in Category 3 and above. Historically speaking that is. But you're right, CCK, there's too many variables. I mean, who knows which house that [lampost, palm tree, Golf Cart] is going to hit. No matter what size or shape, it's not doing well...

 

[phdphay]

As we left today after boarding up, it really was surprising to me how few people had boarded up. However, the first thing a contractor asked me when I called about getting help with boarding up was, "Do you have anything to board up to?" Our neighbor has stucco surrounding his windows - putting screws in that type of surface would cost him a fortune to repair.

 

[dusty]

Sorry if this is a stupid question...but has anyone tried wrapping their house in plastic? Or at least just around the windows? I could envision a huge roll of Saran wrap...and winding it around and around the house, covering up the windows. Maybe I have been hanging out in Costco too long, seeing all the shrink wrapped pallets.

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

Interesting idea, but I don't think saran wrap will do much good when there is a projectile 2x4 going 100mph aiming for your window.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Interesting idea, but I don't think saran wrap will do much good when there is a projectile 2x4 going 100mph aiming for your window.

CCK is right. A 2"x4" board can go through a quarter inch piece of plywood, and your window too, so plastic wrap may not be the best choice (nor is duct tape). However, you win the prize for thinking outside of the box. Keep up the good work. Johnny, tell Dusty what he/she has won.

A NEW CAR! Just kidding Bob, Dusty has won a nice and shiny SoWal sticker which would look lovely on a new car. The sticker can be collected in person at select locations around SoWal. :clap_1:

 

[dusty]

Thank you! I'll pick one up the next time I visit.

Still thinking about what would be easier than plywood...

OK, if heavy duty plastic wrap is not sufficient, what about the rubber type of stuff they put down on play grounds to cushion kids' falls or the rubber stuff they put under basketball courts? Maybe so that the flying 2 x 4' s bounce off the stuff instead of penetrating? Seems like whoever figures it out could make a mint!

P.S. I did not mean literal Saran wrap but some kind of heavy duty stuff they use to shrink wrap pallets of stuff that gets shipped...but sounds like that would not be resistant enough.

 

[Camp Creek Kid]

If memory serves me correctly (anyone watch Iron Chef?) there was talk about plastic wrapping homes after 911. Wasn't it Tom Ridge? There was the thought that plastics would prevent toxic poisons from a dirty bomb from entering a house. Then the media came back and said not to do it because there is the chance of making it too airtight and the risk of suffocation.

I think hurricane shutters will be a big seller down here. If anyone needs and idea for a business . . . There are just a few companies that do them, they are really backed up, and shutters are expensive. However, after going through this for the second time in 10 months, I think shutters are the way to go. The expense is well worth avoiding the stress and physical exhaustion of boarding up with plywood.