Hurricane Hardening for Coastal Homes

CMSA’s Best Practices

At CMSA Architects, we specialize in hurricane hardening for coastal homes across Florida’s barrier islands and waterfront communities. The following are key strategies we recommend for both new construction and renovation projects to help protect structures from storm surge, wind damage, and flooding. From elevated equipment to reinforced roofing systems, each element plays a vital role in long-term resilience.

1. Site Orientation
Assess existing site conditions and, whenever possible, site the structure to take into account prevailing wind and wave direction. This allows the home to deflect natural elements and minimize impact during storm events.

2. Structural Foundation
For projects on barrier islands or beachfront properties, CMSA recommends founding the structure on pilings that extend to bedrock—even if a spread footing system is permitted by soil reports. This greatly increases stability in case of scour or erosion.

3. Below Base Flood Elevation (BFE)
Minimize build-out of usable space below the required Base Flood Elevation to reduce the impact of storm surge and sand accumulation. Allowing water to flow beneath the structure reduces pressure on walls. Only enclose the minimum area necessary for vertical circulation (e.g., stairs or elevators), vehicle parking, or low-value storage. For enclosed areas below BFE, use FEMA-compliant materials and design them to function like a wet room, shower, or pool room. Materials should either be permanently waterproof and easy to clean or removable without damaging surrounding finishes.

4. Auto Protection
When possible, consider installing auto lifts that elevate vehicles above storm surge level to protect against flooding.

5. Equipment Elevation
All critical equipment—such as air conditioning units, generators, and pool systems—should be elevated to at least the Base Flood Elevation. CMSA recommends placing this equipment at the same height as the first living level when feasible.

6. Exterior Materials
Use low- to zero-maintenance materials on all exterior surfaces below BFE to ensure long-term durability.

7. Site Drainage
Incorporate permeable paving and maximize open, permeable space to allow for natural percolation of stormwater. This helps reduce runoff and standing water around the structure.

8. Elevated Structures
All exterior decks and terraces—covered or uncovered—should be constructed from concrete to prevent rot, mold, and mildew in Florida’s humid climate.

9. Wall Systems
We recommend using poured concrete or CMU (concrete masonry unit) block for all exterior walls, including gable end walls, to provide additional structural integrity.

10. Backup Power
Install an emergency generator to maintain essential building functions during and after hurricane events.

11. Impact Protection
Use impact-rated windows and doors throughout the structure. Where possible, specify units that meet or exceed Miami-Dade standards.

12. Outdoor Defensible
Space Design covered terraces and lanais to be enclosed using storm shutter systems. This provides protected space for storing outdoor furniture and appliances during a storm. Many of these systems can be deployed remotely via smartphone.

13. Wind Hazard
Minimization Minimize the use of exterior architectural features or finishes that could detach and become airborne during high-wind events.

14. Roof Systems
Choose roofing materials with high resistance to hurricane-force winds. When allowed by code and HOA guidelines, standing seam metal roofs offer superior performance. 15. Sealed Attic Systems CMSA requires sealed attic systems for homes with traditional attic spaces. These systems support better temperature and moisture control, while also improving structural resilience by bonding the roof sheathing to the trusses using spray foam insulation.

These hurricane hardening strategies reflect CMSA’s commitment to designing structures that are both architecturally timeless and built to withstand Florida’s harshest weather conditions. By integrating these principles, our clients gain peace of mind knowing their coastal home is as beautiful as it is resilient.