Please read the information below carefully.

Watch the Videos on the Mitigation Upgrades

Thoroughly review the Initial Inspection Report. For questions about the Initial Inspection Report, please contact the Inspector using the contact information provided in the Inspection Application approval email.

PLEASE NOTE: 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 Program. No other construction is eligible for funding.

PLEASE NOTE: Townhouses are only eligible to receive funding for Improvement 1.0 – Opening Protection. Single-family homes that are attached to other units will be treated as Townhouses for the purposes of the MSFH Program.

PLEASE NOTE: It is the Homeowner’s responsibility to ensure that their Contractor understands the procedures and requirements of the Program. The Homeowner 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.

There are four (4) Improvements that are eligible for Grant funding under the 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)

IMPROVEMENT 1.0 – Opening Protection

Opening Protection pertains to exterior doors, garage doors, windows, and skylights. Most insurance agencies only require a level of A3 for insurance discounts. Please contact your insurance company to determine if a rating of A2 or A1 is required to receive discounts and refer to your inspection report to determine which specific openings require Improvement. Homeowners may be recommended to do the following:

1. Install impact-rated windows or shutters.
   1. If a Homeowner currently has compliant hurricane shutters, but requests disbursement for impact windows instead, the request will be denied. A home with compliant shutters already has mitigation against hurricane damage. The Grant cannot be used to exchange one type of opening protection for another.
2. Install impact-rated exterior doors or garage doors.
   1. If a Homeowner currently has unprotected entry or garage doors that include glass (a “glazed” opening), the Grant may be approved to replace the door with an impact door or shutter the door with an impact-tested product. If a Homeowner currently has unprotected entry or garage doors that are solid (no glass, or “non-glazed”), the request to replace or shutter the door with an impact-tested product will be denied unless a recommendation is included in the Initial Inspection Report.

PLEASE NOTE: Only the specific openings recommended for improvement in the Initial Inspection Report are eligible for funding under the Program. An opening that is already protected cannot be improved and is therefore ineligible for funding. Refer to the following chart in your Initial Inspection Report to understand which specific openings are being recommended:

IMPROVEMENT 2.0 – Roof to Wall Attachment

One area of focus is the Roof to Wall Attachment, or how the trusses or rafters in your attic are attached to the walls of the home. This reduces the possibility that all or a portion of the roof will lift off the home during a hurricane.

If new connectors are installed, they must be approved for roof to wall retrofit and installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

PLEASE NOTE: It is absolutely essential that whatever work is done needs to be done to EVERY truss or rafter to become eligible for the windstorm mitigation credit. Please ensure you contact a Contractor who specializes in improving roof-to-wall attachment for insurance discounts as they relate to Form OIR-B1-1802.

The new connections must meet the following minimum conditions:

• Secured to truss/rafter with a minimum of three (3) nails; AND
• Attached to the wall top plate of the wall framing, or embedded in the bond beam, with less than a ½" gap from the blocking or truss/rafter and blocked no more than 1.5” of the truss/rafter, and free of visible severe corrosion.

The following are examples of Roof to Wall Attachments:

• Clip Connection
• Single-wrap
• Double-wrap

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

Roof Deck Attachment can be improved by installing additional nails or longer nails. Adding nails reduces the possibility of the sheathing being blown off in a hurricane.

When installing a roof to the current code, your licensed roofing Contractor will ensure your roof sheathing (e.g., plywood) is nailed down to the trusses or rafters with the proper nails and spacing. This helps hold your 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)

An SWR is an underlayment material that is self-adhered (peel-and-stick) directly to the roof decking. This material can be full roof coverage or seam-tape, a 6” wide roofing tape covering all the seams of the roof deck material. It can also be a closed-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.

There are three (3) ways to add a SWR to the home:

1. At the time of reroofing the home, a full-coverage self-adhered underlayment (commonly referred to as peel-and-stick) is directly added to the roof sheathing.
2. At the time of reroofing the home, a self-adhered product (commonly referred to as seam tape) is used on all joints and seams of the roof deck sheathing. A nailed down underlayment, such as felt paper, is still required.
3. If not replacing the roof, install a closed cell foam adhesive on all the seams and joints from the attic side of the roof.

The following are NOT SWR and installing them will result in a denial of payment disbursement. Please ensure you are clear with your Contractor about Program requirements.

1. Hot mop
2. Tar
3. Felt
4. Peel-and-stick applied OVER any other kind of underlayment
5. Any underlayment (synthetic or otherwise) that is not self-adhering

Roof Replacements

If your contractor must remove the roof covering in order to perform any recommended Improvements, the Program will include the costs of the roof covering replacement in the total project costs.

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 Homeowner’s choice of covering, such as tile, metal, or shingle.

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.

PLEASE NOTE: The My Safe Florida Home Program only covers costs up to a total of $10,000, subject to legislative appropriation, for the entire Mitigation Project.