Crushed stone and masonry dust work equally well when bringing a brick path back to level.

There are three important concepts to remember for wind-resistant wall construction. Walls have to resist the uplift forces caused by the pull of the wind. Walls have to resist the shear forces that try to push the walls over. Walls have to resist the lateral force of the wind that tries to push the walls in and pull them away from the building. For uplift purposes, walls are the intermediate link between the roof and the foundation below. To resist uplift forces walls have to have a continuous load path that can be achieved through the use of metal connectors for wood frame construction or a combination of metal connectors, vertical and horizontal reinforcement, and a bond beam at the top of the wall for concrete masonry construction. Shearing forces Walls are also subjected to shearing forces that act in the direction the wind is blowing. As wind blows on a wall, the walls perpendicular to the wall the wind is blowing on, are subjected to these shearing forces and are called shear walls. Shear walls are inherently subjected to the shearing and sliding forces. Wood frame walls resist these shearing and sliding forces through the action of the wall studs, the wall sheathing (preferably plywood), and a specific nailing pattern. Concrete masonry walls resist these forces through a combination of concrete masonry units, mortar, and grouted and reinforced cells. As a result of the walls resisting the shearing forces and being fixed at the base, the walls are subjected to an overturning force, or the tendency to rotate over. For wood frame construction, this force is resisted through the use of a holdown or tensions tied down. Vertical reinforcement and grouted cells resist the overturning forces in concrete masonry construction. Wind Ready Walls Finally, walls have to be capable of supporting the push and pull from the wind. For wood frame construction, studs have to be sized and spaced accordingly to resist the lateral forces, and have to be securely supported at the top and bottom plates. Concrete masonry resists the lateral forces by using reinforcement in grouted cells.

If your home is not protected by impact-resistant windows and doors; or impact resistant shutters or panels; consider building your own temporary emergency panels. Step One: Plan the Project. Count and measure each window and door that has glass including French doors, sliding glass doors as well as skylights. You might also want to include roof and gable end vents or any opening that if damaged would allow wind to enter your home. Measure each opening horizontally inside the exterior trim and vertically from the sill to the bottom of the top trim. Add eight inches to both the height and width to provide a four-inch overlap on all sides. When measuring a window with an extended sill measure from the top of the sill to the top of the window and add four inches instead of eight. Sheets of plywood are generally 4 feet by 8 feet. This will help determine how many sheets to buy. Be sure to purchase plywood that is 5/8 inch or greater, exterior grade (CDX). Step Two: Assemble Your Tools and Hardware. You will need a circular saw, drill and drill bits, hammer and wrench, work gloves and safety goggles for this project. You will also need an assortment of hardware including bolts, wood or masonry anchors, nuts and large washers. A range of bolts may be used because different bolts will be needed for wood frame versus masonry homes. Wood Homes use lag screws and plastic coated permanent anchors Masonry Homes use expansion bolts and galvanized permanent expansion anchors Step Three: Get Started Having someone help you with this project will make things a lot easier. First drill holes in the same diameter as the bolts or screws, 2-inches in from the edges of the plywood at each corner and at 12-inch intervals around the panel. Next hold the plywood firmly in place over the opening to mark where to drill mounting holes. If the window sill is flush to the wall, secure the plywood on all four sides. If the window sill extends out at the bottom, secure the plywood on the top and sides. For windows 3 feet by 4 feet or smaller installed on a wood frame house, use 1/4-inch lag screws and plastic coated permanent anchors. The lag screws should penetrate the wall and frame surrounding the window at least 1 3/4 inches. For larger windows, use 3/8-inch lag screws that penetrate the wall and frame surrounding the window at least 2 1/2 inches. For windows 3 feet by 4 feet or smaller installed on a masonry house, use 1/4 inch expansion bolts and galvanized permanent expansion anchors. The expansion bolts should penetrate the wall at least 1 1/2 inches. For larger windows, use 3/8-inch expansion bolts that penetrate the wall at least 1 1/2 inches. If a window or door is larger than a sheet of plywood, you will need to join the panels with 2X4 bracing along the entire seam. Attach the 2X4s to the outside of the plywood panel with 10 gauge, 2 inch long galvanized screws (exterior deck screws) spaced every 4 inches. Use the widest side of the 2X4 to run the length of the entire seam. When youre done, mark each panel with the name of the opening so you will quickly know where to install it when a storm is approaching. Store the panels, washers and nuts together in a location away from the elements. Consider waterproofing the panels with paint or a sealant.

There are several types of foundations used in residential construction but all have one important requirement, the foundation and connections to the walls and floors must be strong enough not only to support the weight of the house and its contents but to prevent the home from being blown away by high winds. Common Foundation Types The two most common types of foundations are monolithic slab-on-grade and stemwall foundations. A slab on grade foundation is a single, continuous layer of concrete that sits directly on the ground. The concrete slab is the floor system. A slab-on-grade foundation should be reinforced with welded wire fabric and have longitudinal reinforcement in the footing or turndown. Construction Techniques There are many construction techniques for anchoring the exterior walls to the foundation. For wood-framed construction, the bottom plate of the wall should be anchored into the slab with anchor bolts and washers. The bottom plate should be securely connected to the wall studs above by using approved metal clips or straps. For concrete masonry construction, vertical reinforcement in a continuously grouted cell should extend from the wall above and be embedded in the concrete footing below with a standard hook. Stemwalls A stemwall is a concrete block or brick wall used on top of the footer for off grade houses where the ground slopes from one side to the other. Stemwalls can support both concrete slabs and wood-framed floors. Stemwalls should have vertical reinforcement in a continuously grouted cell extending from the concrete masonry wall and embedded in the concrete footing with a standard hook. The concrete footing should also have longitudinal reinforcement. Anchorage for an exterior wall to a stemwall foundation is similar to anchoring to a slab-on-grade. Metal connectors and anchor bolts must be used to securely connect the walls to the foundation and give your home the required resistance to the forces created by extreme winds.

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