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GLH Built for All Kinds of Weather

Hurricanes and tropical storms are no laughing matter. As well as the risk they pose to human life, they also pose serious threats to residential and commercial buildings. It’s this damage that often remains long after the storm has blown itself out. Fortunately, there are a number of ways to build homes to survive a variety of dangerous weather situations and Glenn Layton Homes, a leading Jacksonville FL home builder, makes sure to build every home as strong and sturdy as their own. They have the testimonials to prove it, too!

“Our waterfront home performed flawlessly during the hurricane. Thank you to the GLH team for building a strong and quality product for the environment we live in.”

Roofs are expensive, even when there isn’t storm damage. That’s why GLH works hard to use roof materials that won’t leak and have a better chance of withstanding high winds. They use metal or concrete tile roofing materials instead of traditional shingle roofing. For one thing, the weight of these materials is less likely to blow off during storms, unlike shingles. They consistently aim to use better quality materials that still accent the coastal designed homes beautifully.

“Thank you for building a high quality, solid house for us. The house withstood the hurricane without any issues.”

Many people may not realize the variety of windows available that are specifically designed to stand up to not only strong winds, but also the shifts in pressure inside and outside the home. GLH uses PGT 5400 Vinyl windows as their standard windows. These do not absorb moisture and they protect against temperature transfer. Vinyl is preferable to the more typical aluminum windows that are usually standard in the home building industry. Impact glass windows are also an option for GLH clients.

“Glenn, just a few words about our oceanfront home that you built several years back. I was totally amazed by the performance of the home during the events of the hurricane. While the backyard was totally swept away, and the storm surge reached the slab elevation, there was not a drop of water on the inside of the home. After 14 years, we still feel totally safe even in a Category 3 storm. Great job!”

GLH builds all of their homes with a stem wall foundation, which elevates the home and allows for a three- to four-course masonry perimeter wall foundation as opposed to a six-inch monolithic concrete slab. If you’ve ever wondered why one home has steps and another doesn’t, this is an indicator. Plus, if the land is unevenly graded or sloped, the stem wall foundation helps level the interior finished floor in the home.

“Glenn, hope you, your family and home made it safely through the storm. Our house weathered the storm without any damage, unlike the homes across A1A that were severely damaged.”

When looking into custom home building, you may come across block construction and frame construction. GLH goes with framed construction, since a 2×6 framed constructed home performs 40% more effectively than block. A framed wall is designed with the same energy requirements that a block wall will withstand. However, you lose square footage and design elements with block, whereas frame allows you to be more flexible in design.

It is important to note that Northeast Florida building codes vary greatly from South Florida and the Pan Handle. Hurricane Andrew made the entire state of Florida reevaluate building codes for their specific regions. Sometimes when clients move to North Florida, they may be confused as to why GLH don’t only use block construction. However, the company is happy to explain the differences and offer a choice. They listen to what the client would prefer to help them feel safe in their new home and incorporate those features when possible.

 “We did not evacuate and felt very safe and secure in our Glenn Layton Home.”

However, there are times when a client would like a certain feature or building material that may simply not function well from a homeowner’s perspective. Fortunately, Glenn Layton Homes has the confidence to inform the client and suggest other options that they will appreciate for years to come. This is why GLH is considered as the best Jacksonville FL home builder. As the testimonials show, they have a lot of happy and safe customers.

Categorised in: Custom Builder Tips, Design Tips, homes built for all kinds of weather

This post was written by Glenn Layton Homes