Hurricane Season 2024, And The Biggest Illusion About FORTIFIED Roofing

June 1st, 2024. As we roll into what is predicted to be the most active hurricane season on record, getting the correct information about FORTIFIED Roofing is more critical than ever. The unknown fact about the FORTIFIED Program is that the majority of us do not need to buy a new roof. Instead, you can retrofit your existing roof to meet the same FORTIFIED standards that Alabama has successfully proven year after year, hurricane after hurricane.

FORTIFIED Roofing is a program of the Insurance Institute of Business and Home Safety [IBHS]. The FORTIFIED Roofing program was designed with many purposes in mind. As most people have heard, one of them is to qualify for substantial insurance discounts.

However, reroofing to FORTIFIED standards is unnecessary for most homeowners to get these same premium discounts and tax deductions. And remember, up to Category 3 protection for your home and family, too!

FORTIFIED roof requirements encompass a range of features that strengthen the roof structure and improve its ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. These requirements include:

Enhanced roof deck attachment

Sealed roof deck

Locked down roof edges

Impact-resistant roof shingles

Closed-cell spray polyurethane foam insulation was installed on all roof deck seams and seams between the roof rafters and roof decking in a retrofit FORTIFIED Roof project.

The beauty of FORTIFIED Roofing requirements is that you often do not need a new roof. As long as your roof is in good condition, as determined by your licensed Wind Mitigation Surveyor or Certified Evaluator.

In most cases, all you need to do is have Diversified Energy retrofit the underside of your roof deck by installing the proper polyurethane foam adhesive to IBHS’ stringent FORTIFIED standards. You’re all set to get your insurance discounts and prepare for Hurricane Season 2024 in one day.

What are the benefits of retrofitting your roof to FORTIFIED standards versus installing an entirely new, costly FORTIFIED Roof?

Cost is a fraction of a new FORTIFIED Roof

Less time and inspections are required. Typically, one day install

This opens the FORTIFIED designation to a much wider range of roof types, such as metal roofs, Spanish tile, slate, etc

Save up to weeks of aggravation and thousands of dollars by not needing to remove and reinstall solar panels

Offer the opportunity for lower-income homeowners to obtain FORTIFIED Roofs where none previously existed

Broaden the possibility for many homeowners to achieve FORTIFIED Roof standards for various reasons that may have currently kept them from moving forward

With so little education and information about the FORTIFIED Program in this state, nearly everyone who wants this additional protection is calling up roofers and getting aggressively high pricing. There are already signs of potential price gouging concerns. If the client wants to re-roof to meet the FORTIFIED standards, it will cost considerably more in many cases.

For those who can not afford a new roof that meets FORTIFIED standards, Diversified Energy’s RETRO-FORTIFIED alternative is the solution. It is much more achievable and straightforward, may have lower FORTIFIED evaluation costs, is a fraction of the price, and results in the same insurance discounts. Most insurance companies give an additional discount for the RETRO-FORTIFIED they do not offer for just a new FORTIFIED Roof.

For those with metal or historic roofs that you want to avoid tearing off to install a new FORTIFIED Roof, by having Diversified Energy properly retrofit your existing roof to IBHS standards, you may no longer need to.