
Typical construction leaves your home vulnerable
We have spent decades studying the damage caused by hurricanes, tornados, and other severe weather events, and have identified common weaknesses in typically built homes. Then we spent years finding the best solutions by testing them in the only full-scale research center in the world. Now, you can use our science to defend your home, simply by asking your contractor to follow the FORTIFIED construction method.
What is FORTIFIED?
FORTIFIED is a better way to build, re-roof, or retrofit your home to protect against severe weather.
FORTIFIED is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program designed to strengthen homes and commercial buildings against specific types of severe weather such as high winds, hail, hurricanes and even tornadoes.
FORTIFIED Home offers three ways to strengthen and protect your new or existing home.
FORTIFIED'S 3 Tiers of Protection
We offer the Fortified Roof!

Roofing or Re-Roofing
Focuses on strengthening the roof to help keep it attached to your home during high winds and keep water out if roof covering (such as shingles or tiles) get blown off in a storm.

Best for Existing Homes
Builds on the requirements of FORTIFIED Roof to also help protect vulnerable areas such as windows and doors as well as attached structures such as carports.

Best for New Homes
Builds on requirements of FORTIFIED Roof and FORTIFIED Silver to provide the best protection available against severe weather.
Benefits of a FORTIFIED Roof
ROOF | Silver | Gold | |
---|---|---|---|
X Stronger EdgesRoof damage often begins when wind gets underneath the roof edge and begins ripping it away from the home. To help protect this vulnerable area, FORTIFIED requires specific materials and installation methods including a wider drip edge and a fully adhered starter strip that when used together create a stronger system. | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
X Sealed Roof DeckIf wind rips off your roof coveringsuch as shingles, metal panels or tilesthis exposes the wood beneath and allows water to pass through the gaps and enter your home. FORTIFIED requires roofs to be sealed to prevent this type of water damage. | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
X Better AttachmentInstead of common smooth nails, FORTIFIED requires ring-shank nails installed in an enhanced pattern to help keep the roof deck attached to your home in high winds. In fact, using ring-shank nails nearly doubles the strength of your roof against the forces of winds. | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
X Impact Resistant ShinglesFORTIFIED requires shingles tested by IBHS to best withstand hail up to 2 inches in diameter. When used together, these small but important details make a huge impact on the strength of your roof and better protect your home against severe weather. | ![]() | ![]() | ![]() |
X Pressure Rated Garage DoorsKeeping winds and pressure from entering your home is critical for its survival in a storm. Both can easily come through a failed garage door, and once this happens, its common to see blown-out walls and collapsed roofs. FORTIFIED prevents this scenario by requiring garage doors rated to withstand high pressures. | ![]() | ![]() | |
Impact Protection For Windows and Doors > X Impact Protection For Windows and DoorsTests conclusively show plywood over the windows is not sufficient to defend your home from storm pressures or from debris tossed by hurricane winds. To keep winds from entering your home and potentially causing catastrophic damage, FORTIFIED requires window and door protection that is tested to protect against pressure and impact. | ![]() | ![]() | |
Additional Bracing at Gable Ends > X Additional Bracing at Gable EndsPost-disaster studies show that typical construction plans often leave the large areas of a gable with little to no support. By requiring additional bracing, FORTIFIED stops high winds from collapsing this section of a home. | ![]() | ![]() | |
Properly Secured Attached Structures and Porches > X Properly Secured Attached Structures and PorchesHigh winds can flow under the roof of a carport or porch, and if the structure is not properly anchored, it can not only lift up like a kiteit can take part of your house with it. FORTIFIED requires strong anchors and proper connection to your home to prevent this type of damage. | ![]() | ![]() | |
X Well Anchored ChimneysTypical construction often ignores the way a decorative chimney is attached to a house. Unfortunately, high winds often tear these features from the home, leaving a hole in the roof and allowing rain to easily enter, which typically leads to significant interior damage. FORTIFIED requires proper attachments to prevent this damage. | ![]() | ||
X Stronger Wall SheathingNo matter what direction the wind is coming from, your walls will take the brunt of it. If they fail, wind and rain will ravage your home. This is why FORTIFIED requires exterior walls to be thick enough and attached with strong enough nails to withstand winds up to 130 mph. | ![]() | ||
X Continuous Load PathIn most areas of the country, typical construction relies on gravityand the weight of your hometo keep it in one piece when high winds threaten. Sadly, storm after storm, we see proof that this is not enough. FORTIFIED requires an engineered continuous load path. This is a specific plan that specifies how your roof should be fixed to your walls, and how your walls should be anchored to your foundation. Creating a singular, solid structure is the key to FORTIFIEDs system for maximum protection. | ![]() |