DaVinci Composite Roofing Withstands Category 5 Hurricane
When Hurricane Irma made landfall on the small island of Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands on September 5-6 of this year, it blew in with Category 5 conditions. While most of the island received extensive damage, not the home of Peter Karpiak. Thanks to his foresight in building and design, the house, including portions with composite roofing from DaVinci Roofscapes, successfully withstood the storm.
“Our home was directly in the eye of the hurricane with winds reported in excess of 250 mph and the eye wall contained tornadoes,” reports Karpiak. “Due to the size of the storm, my home and the rest of the island endured more than 12 hours of Category 5 conditions.”
Home Envelope Built to Last
The Spanish-style structure owned by Karpiak was built to last. Concrete block walls, Renewal by Andersen windows (Dade County Certified), plus concrete tile and composite shakes on the roof all helped create a strong, dependable building envelope. While exterior fans and lights were all destroyed, along with wind-blown rain coming in to damage hardwood floors, Karpiak’s home withstood the onslaught.
“This home has been through many hurricanes before, but never a direct hit from a Category 5,” says Karpiak, whose nine-year old home sits on a bluff overlooking the Atlantic Ocean on one side and the Caribbean on the other. “The fan-shaped section of composite roofing over our outdoor living area and the tower roof are all shake from DaVinci. These roofing tiles were not damaged by the hurricane.
“That’s a huge statement. This storm was so severe that it stripped the leaves and bark off trees. Seventy-five percent of the island was completely flattened by the storm. Neighbors closest to us lost cedar roofing shakes. Other homes were completely destroyed because the roofs were lifted off the structures when tornados in the eye wall struck.
“We’re fortunate our home withstood these excessive weather conditions. That’s partly due to luck, but to a greater extent the high end construction and material choices we made originally for this home proved a wise investment. As rebuilding efforts get underway on the island, I’m definitely recommending to people that they make smart product choices. DaVinci Roofscapes is on that short list.”