| Florida's New Building
Code
On March 1, 2002, the Florida Building Code means stricter requirements
for homeowners and builders. Builders in coastal counties are required
to strengthen houses to withstand winds of 110 to 150 miles per hour depending
on location. This translates to the requirement of approved hurricane
shutters or impact-resistant windows and doors such as PGT® WinGuard™.
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Significant Changes to Building Codes Include:
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- Wind-borne debris protection will be required for all areas
one mile inland within 110-mile wind line (Except Panhandle
exclusion zone — one mile inland regardless of wind speed).Miami-Dade
County will adopt 146 mph countywide (Exposure "C").
- Monroe County (Florida Keys) will remain 150 mph.
All coastal areas will revert from Exposure "D" to
Exposure "C".
Miami-Dade and Broward Counties will only accept Miami-Dade
approvals.
- The rest of the state will accept either Miami-Dade approval
or ASTM-E-1886 and 1996 or SSTD-12.
- Mull bars will require anchorage to the substrate.
- All building plans require the architect or engineer of record
to specify design pressures for all openings.
- Manufacturers shall be required to provide installation and
attachment requirements.
- AAMA/NWDA-101-IS-297 has been included as testing requirements
for windows and doors.
- Manufacturers will be required to provide test reports or
engineering calculations for mull bars.
- The Florida Building Commission has sent a finalized product
approval system to the Legislature for final approval.
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Florida Building Code
Information
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