1. Public Service Message
GET READY BELIZE
2019 HURRICANE SEASON FAST APPROACHING
HURRICANE PROOF YOUR ROOF
It is one of the most important and expensive section of your home

2. HURRICANE PROOF YOUR ROOF
In 2016, Category 1 Hurricane Earl caused severe roof failure
to more than 2, 500 structures.
In 2017 Category 5 Hurricanes Irma and Maria
devastated many islands in the Caribbean,
namely Dominica and Antigua and Barbuda
to name a few and caused hundreds of
structures to suffer serious roof failure.
It is expected that storms will be stronger and
more disastrous due to climate change.

3. Poor roof design and construction affected
more than 6, 000 people because of Earl
This type of construction and practices are unsustainable particularly in
the event of a Category 3-5 hurricane

5. External wall studs shall be capped with double top plates
Plate shall be a nominal 2 inches in depth and have a width not less than the width of the studs.
Top plate shall be connected to rafters with galvanize hurricane straps.

6. Roof design - beams, rafters, purlin, eave overhang length, straps, clips, tie down straps
It is cheaper in the longer run for home owners and developers to use plans
approved by the municipalities’ building units and qualified /certified
Builders.
Rafter and roof joist spacing is only one part of a complex roof design that
works together to form a structure that meets building codes and can hold
up the weight of the roof and roof load.
Space rafters in one of several industry-standard increments, typically either 12,
16 or 24 inches apart.
Spacing intervals are measured "on center," meaning that the measurement is
taken from the center of one rafter's horizontal surface to the center of the next
Rafter.

7. Truss anchor embedded into masonry beam and screwed to timber rafter.

8. Rafter should be connected to purlin with galvanized connectors.

9. Cantilever portions of rafters are permitted provided the dimension of the remaining portion of the rafter is not less than 3 ½ inches and length of the cantilever does not exceed 24”

10. Purlins at ridge and eave should span maximum 8” and 24” at the center.
The maximum span of 2”x4” purlins shall be 4 feet.
The maximum span of 2”x6” purlins shall be 6 feet.

13. Reducing Rafter Span
Rafter sizes can be reduced by reducing the span by:
Supporting the rafter on an internal wall.
Installing a collar tie
Building a truss

14. Reducing the Span

16. Roofing straps and clips
Basic strengthening measures and techniques that
can be taken by home owners to strengthen a weak roof structure

27. BUILD:
1. WITH THE RIGHT MATERIALS, build fire resistant with cement, plycem and sheet rock
2. IN THE right location
3. TO THE RIGHT STANDARD, build for more than one hazard, build for hurricane, flood, earthquake/tsunami and fire

28. DO NOT build in swamps and along side rivers and dry creek beds

29. Build elevated

30. When building along the coast
Build smart Belize

31. Save on electricity, reduce reliance on fossil fuel

32. Build for the future, consider climate change

33. During the Hurricane Season store emergency water

34. GALLARDO SERVICES AND HARDWARE HABET & HABET LTD
Some of the stores where hazard resistant roofing clips, roofing material, survival supplies, windows and doors can be purchased
BENNYS
 BUILDER'S HARDWARE
GALLARDO SERVICES AND HARDWARE
HABET & HABET LTD
A.L. CONSTRUCTION LTD. - SUPPLY STORE
UNIVERSAL HARDWARE
BUILDERS' HARDWARE LTD.
GALLARDO SERVICES AND HARDWARE:
BELMOPAN BUILDING AND CONSTRUCTION | SUPPLIES | ARCHITECT
KOOP SHEET
HOFIUS BELIZE 
HARMOUCHE
CASTILLO

35. “ Be better prepared, secure your roof, windows and
doors, be proactive, Hurricanes are destructive and
deadly natural hazards, if we fail to prepare, we
prepare to fail
STRENGTHENED YOUR ROOF BELIZE, PROTECT YOUR
FAMILY, LIFE DEPENDS ON IT"
Changing culture, saving lives !!!!!!!!!!!
A MESSAGE FROM NEMO, THE MINISTRY OF HOUSING, CENTRAL BUILDING AUTHORITY AND THE GOVERNMENT OF BELIZE