Using wind-induced depressurizations to help houses withstand hurricanes

Abstract

An affordable “non-surgical” method for retro-upgrading a house to better withstand hurricane winds and rain is described, wherein the winds' most strongly depressurized eddies or “Separation Zones” bordering the building envelope are clearly identified and “harnessed” by assured venting of the interior space just into such, thereby depressurizing the interior likewise and strongly reducing or eliminating any net outward-acting force on the building envelope. The “harnessing” is assured simply by installing one-way valves over the vent openings, whereby air can pass outward from the interior to strongest-depressurized Separation Zones but inward flows (such as on the windward) are quickly blocked by the other valved vents “blowing closed”. The roof envelope surrounding the attic is especially addressed, wherein winds from any direction will strongly depressurize the attic and so help hold the roof sheathing down, gables on, soffits and ceiling up—while the valves also block ruinous rain entry on the windward.

1 . A method of reducing outward-acting forces induced by winds on a roof and other enveloping parts enclosing an attic or other roof space of a house or similar building, comprising steps of:
 identifying the location or locations immediately under the roof overhang around the house perimeter where the most strongly depressurized air will be created by a wind stream flowing around the house, being the location or locations immediately downwind of the outermost extremities of the house's then-windward sidewall(s) where the building-diverted windstream has been pushed farthest off its original path and is being forced back toward its original direction; or, where there is no suitable roof overhang, similarly identifying the most strongly depressurized off-roof location or locations such as downwind of the top of a gable end; and repeating the step for all wind directions to which the house is exposed to identify all such potentially most depressurized locations.