Improvements Guide

Applicants are required to thoroughly review the Initial Inspection Report. For questions about the Initial Inspection Report, please contact the MSFH Program Inspector using the contact information provided in the Inspection Application approval email. 

There are four (4) Improvements eligible for Grant funding under the MSFH Program when recommended in an Initial Inspection Report:

• Improvement 1.0 Opening Protection  
• Improvement 2.0 Roof to Wall Attachment  
• Improvement 3.0 Roof Deck Attachment   
• Improvement 4.0 Secondary Water Resistance (SWR) 

IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING MITIGATION IMPROVEMENTS 

• Only Improvements RECOMMENDED by an Inspector in an Initial Inspection Report and OBSERVED by an Inspector in a Final Inspection Report will be eligible for funding under the MSFH Program. No other construction work will be eligible for funding. 
• It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure their Contractor understands the procedures and requirements of the MSFH Program. The Applicant should review their Initial Inspection Report with their selected Contractor.

Building Permits  

Homeowners must ensure Contractors receive all applicable building permits from the local building inspector’s office. 

IMPROVEMENT 1.0 – Opening Protection

Protecting openings (exterior doors, garage doors, windows, and skylights) with impact-rated products can help prevent debris from breaking through and creating pressure inside the home.  Please contact your insurance company to determine if a rating of A1, A2, or A3 is required to receive discounts and refer to your Initial Inspection Report to determine which specific openings require Improvement.

Based on this improvement type, an Applicant may be recommended to do the following: 

1. nstall impact-rated windows or shutters. If compliant hurricane shutters are present demonstrating wind mitigation protection, replacement with impact windows are not eligible for funding. *
2.  Install impact-rated exterior doors or garage doors. Entry or garage doors that include glass are referred to as “glazed” openings, whereas solid entry or garage doors with no glass are referred to as “non-glazed” openings.

Applicants are not required to replace all openings to qualify for Disbursement. Specific openings may be chosen to upgrade if the openings are recommended in the Initial Inspection report.

Townhouses are only eligible to receive funding for Improvement 1.0 – Opening Protection. Attached Single-family homes will be treated as townhouses for the purposes of the MSFH Program.

*For Improvement 1.0 - Opening Protection, only the specific openings recommended for upgrades in the Initial Inspection Report are eligible for grant funding. If an Applicant currently has impact-rated hurricane shutters, but requests Disbursement for impact windows, the request will be denied. A home with impact-rated shutters already has mitigation against hurricane damage. The Grant cannot be used to exchange one type of opening protection for another

IMPROVEMENT 2.0 – Roof to Wall Attachment

Roof to wall attachments are connections that attach the attic trusses or rafters to the walls of the home reducing the possibility that all or a portion of the roof will lift off the home during a hurricane. While roof to wall attachments can often be upgraded without replacing a roof, the cost of replacing the roof may be eligible for Grant funding if necessary to complete the Recommended Improvement.   This improvement can be completed by: 

• Removing the bottom section of the sheathing (plywood, for example) and installing a new clip or wrap or adding additional nails as required 
• Removing the exterior soffits of the home to expose the roof to wall section to install a new clip, or install additional nails as needed. 
• If the attic space is adequate and accessible, additional nail(s) or retrofitting a clip from inside the attic.

It is essential that regardless of the way the attachment is installed, it is done to EVERY truss or rafter to be eligible for windstorm mitigation credit. It is important to ensure that a Contractor specializes in improving roof to wall attachments for insurance discounts as they relate to the Form OIR-B1-1802.  

 If new connectors are installed, they must be approved for roof-to-wall retrofit, installed according to the manufacturer's instructions, and meet the following minimum conditions:  

Some examples of these attachments are clip connections, single-wraps, and double-wraps. 

Roof to Wall Attachments can be done in a few ways:

• A convenient time to address this is during re-roofing. Remove the bottom section of the sheathing (plywood for example) and install a new clip or wrap or add additional nails as the case may require.
• Remove the exterior soffits of the home to expose the roof to wall section to install a new clip, or install additional nails as needed that will help strengthen the attachment and qualify for the insurance credit.
• If the attic space is adequate and accessible, it may be possible to add the additional nail(s) or to even retrofit a clip from inside the attic.

PLEASE NOTE: Roof to Wall Attachments can often be upgraded without replacing a roof.

IMPROVEMENT 3.0 – Roof Deck Attachment

The Roof Deck Attachment can be improved by installing additional nails or longer nails to bond the roof sheathing (most commonly: plywood sheets) to the trusses or attic rafters. 

When installing a roof to the current code, a licensed Roofing Contractor will ensure the roof sheathing (e.g., plywood) is nailed down to the trusses or rafters with the proper nails and spacing. This helps hold the roof deck to the trusses/rafters in the event of a windstorm and should ensure it qualifies for the proper windstorm mitigation credit.  

IMPROVEMENT 4.0 – Secondary Water Resistance (SWR)

A Secondary Water Resistance (SWR) is an underlayment material that is self-adhered (peel-and-stick) and positioned directly to the roof deck to prevent water intrusion. This material can be full roof coverage, seam-tape (a 6” wide roofing tape covering all the seams of the roof deck material), or cell spray foam adhesive used in the attic space which seals every seam of the roof deck and on either side of the trusses or rafters. 

This improvement can be completed in three (3) ways: 

1.  At the time of reroofing, use a full-coverage self-adhered underlayment, commonly referred to as peel-and-stick, directly to the roof deck material. 
2. At time of reroofing, use a self-adhere product, commonly referred to as seam tape, on all joints and seams of the roof decking material. This still requires nailed down underlayment such as felt paper; or 
3.  If not replacing the roof, install a foam adhesive on all the seams and joints from the attic side of roof.

IMPORTANT NOTES REGARDING SECONDARY WATER 

Based on proposed changes to Form OIR-B1-1802, Applicants can receive Grant funding for installation of a Secondary Water Barrier (SWB) instead of a Secondary Water Resistance (SWR) if using the following method:  

• Double layer of felt or synthetic with no tape

For the installation of SWB to be considered for Grant funding, Applicants must provide evidence of the proper installation of appropriate SWB at the Draw Request stage. It is the Applicant’s responsibility to ensure the scope of work for the installation of double layer of felt or synthetic with no tape is outlined in the Contractor’s invoices that are submitted as documentation required for a Draw Request. It is recommended that progress photos be taken throughout construction and provided at the Draw Request stage as well.   

Alternative SWB installation methods such as hot mop, tar, single layer of felt, or peel-and-stick applied over any other kind of underlayment are not eligible for Grant funding. 

Roof Replacements

Improving the survivability of the roof covering might include upgrading to stronger hurricane- resistant roof shingles, attached with properly sized and properly applied roofing nails, to reduce the susceptibility of your roof shingles blowing off in a hurricane. The roof may be replaced with the Applicant’s choice of covering, such as tile, metal, or shingle.  

If the Contractor must remove the roof covering to perform any Recommended Improvements, the costs of the roof covering replacement can be included in the total project cost. The covering material can be the Applicant’s choice such as tile, metal, or shingle so long as all portions of the contiguous roof are replaced with SWR to be eligible for Disbursement. A contiguous roof might be all portions of a flat roof OR all portions of a pitched roof.  

Roof Patching or Partial Repairs  

Roof patching or other partial repairs of the roof will not be eligible for funding under the Program. To receive grant funding for roof covering replacement as part of a recommended Improvement, you must replace the entire, contiguous roof covering. Grant funding cannot be used for roof patching or other partial repairs. A contiguous roof might be all portions of a flat roof OR all portions of a pitched roof.