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(12/18/23) LAKE CHARLES, La. — The LaHouse Research and Education Center presented at a course hosted by the Homebuilders Association of Southwestern Louisiana to teach building professionals and homeowners the requirements and benefits of building a home to the FORTIFIED standard.
“For communities like Lake Charles that are continuously impacted by major storms, the FORTIFIED standard offers a way to build stronger and more prepared communities,” said Carol Friedland, LaHouse director. “As more homeowners have the opportunity to build FORTIFIED, ensuring they are aware of the differences and benefits is crucial.”
Research conducted at LaHouse found that the FORTIFIED roof standard reduces wind loss by 19% to 38%; the FORTIFIED silver standard reduces wind loss by 66% to 73%; and the FORTIFIED gold standard reduces wind loss by 68% to 80%.
The FORTIFIED home standard can result in insurance discounts for homeowners ranging from 20% to 52%. Additionally, Louisiana offers a tax deduction of up to $5,000 for retrofitting a home to meet the FORTIFIED standard. The Louisiana Fortify Home Program from the Louisiana Department of Insurance provides homeowners with $10,000 to retrofit their roof to FORTIFIED.
This work is supported through the Building Resilience through Extension, Awareness and Knowledge (BREAK) project, which aims to educate home building professionals, homeowners and youth about the FORTIFIED standard and emergency preparedness.
The LaHouse Research and Education Center is an exhibit of the best home-building techniques for the Gulf of Mexico region. Located on LSU’s Baton Rouge campus, LaHouse is a one-stop resource for homeowners and building professionals to learn more about resilient, sustainable and healthy homes.
To learn more, visit https://www.lsuagcenter.com/lahouse.
This work is supported by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture.
