Hurricane Straps: The Roof-to-Wall Lifeline

Every Rafter, Every Time

In lower wind zones, you might get away with hurricane clips on every other rafter. Not in the Florida Keys. With 180 mph design winds creating massive uplift forces, every single rafter needs a hurricane strap connecting it to the wall below.

Think of your roof like a kite. Wind flowing over the roof creates lift - the same force that makes airplanes fly. During a hurricane, this lift can be strong enough to pick your entire roof off the walls if nothing is holding it down. Hurricane straps are that something.

A typical rafter in a Keys home might see 800-1,200 pounds of uplift force trying to pull it off the wall. Standard hurricane straps like the Simpson H2.5A max out around 700 pounds. That means you often need higher-capacity straps like the H10 (1,200+ pound capacity) or even double straps at each rafter.

The straps must also be installed correctly - using all the nail holes with the specified nail size. A strap with half the nails missing has half the capacity. Inspectors count nails during framing inspections because this detail literally determines whether your roof stays on during a hurricane.