Weathering The Storm: Vinyl Fencing That Stands Up To Strong Winds (NAPSA)—With the effects of global warming changingourcli- ai mate, the United States could see a dramatic increase in the frequency of conditions that feed severe weather such as hurricanes, tornadoes and storms with high winds. According to the National Academy | Ain ill HAIMA of Sciences, some locations could see as much as a 100 percent increase by the end of the century in the numberof days out of the year that feature severe storms. This potential weather trend is causing homeowners wholive in storm-prone areas to take a second look at the durability of their fences. While most vinyl fences are designed to keep children and pets safe in their yards, they may have a hard time standing up to severe weather that rolls through, threatening both lives and property. The Miami-Dade County Building Code Compliance Office reviewsa variety of building products, including fences, and is an excellent resource for homeowners throughout the United States. The office recently granted CertainTeed Corporation a Notice of Acceptance (NOA) number for four of its Bufftech privacy and semiprivate vinyl fence systems. These include Chesterfield privacy fence, Chesterfield privacy fence with lattice accent, Columbia board-on-board semiprivate fence and Imperial semiprivate fence. Each of these products is designed for exceptional performancein high wind conditions. as Whenchoosing a vinyl fence system, it’s a good idea to determine whetherit will stand up to strong winds. These fence systems were designed to withstand wind speeds of up to 75 miles per hour or three-second wind gusts up to 90 miles per hour, which complies with the High-Velocity Hurricane Zones section R44003.1.2.1 of the Florida Building Code. Homeowners should contact local building code officials to get recommendations on the windload guidelines in their area, which can have a significant impact on how well their fence systems will perform during stretches of bad weather. To learn more about the NOA standards, visit www.miamidade. gov. For more information on Bufftech fence systems, call (800) 782-8777 or visit www.certain teed.com.
