When most people think of domestic or commercial roof construction, most people probably would not give a great deal of thought to the different environmental conditions that influence local roof construction regulations. However, not all roofs can or should be constructed in the same manner, and to do so could not only prove to be dangerous but also fatal in the long run.
First, the geographic location is pivotal in determining what type of construction is safe and what could lead to a plethora of issues. For instance, buildings constructed in locations that are much more prone to earthquakes mandate regulations that would not only promote the stability of the building but also codes that would insure that in the event of such a natural disaster, the building would be able to withstand the threat of collapse long enough for the occupants to seek safety.
Second, the nature of potential natural disasters needs to be fully taken into account. For example, an area prone to flooding would require significantly different codes of construction than areas that face earthquakes, since earthquakes tend to cause structural damage from the ground up, whereas flooding tends to cause damage on a more horizontal plane.
Third, the length of potential natural disasters needs to be taken into account. An earthquake is extremely intense and will last for just a few seconds, while an area prone to severe floods might see the waters last for days on end. As a result, the strength and durability of all of these materials needs to be reviewed, making sure that they are able to successfully withstand the natural disaster for a suitable timeframe.
Having looked at these three principles and understood fully how they relate to home construction, let us turn our attention to the topic at hand: how does a hurricane influence the construction of a roof? Locations that tend to be near the sea face the prospect of a violent storm surge, coupled with severe winds and torrential rains, whereas a location a good ways inland might find the winds diminished somewhat (though still dangerous) and the threat of a dangerous storm surge nonexistent.
However, the problem is that in both of these locations, the roof of the building remains the highest part exposed to both the winds and rain. Since some hurricanes might stall and stay for a long time, the length of time enduring severe rain and strong winds could be quite large. Therefore, the concern of the roofer in this situation is to use materials that are not only able to withstand strong winds and rain for lengthy periods of time but also are able to remain steadfastly attached to the building. From using more durable materials to engineering techniques that place a large emphasis on successfully repelling large quantities of rain driven by dangerously strong gusts of wind, the net result is a roof that is significantly different from a roof in another locale, but one that is designed to bear the brunt of the worst conditions a hurricane has to offer.
