N.J. homeowners hurt by Sandy should think about how they rebuild

After the storm comes the rebuilding. And in the wake of Superstorm Sandy, some are arguing that just replacing what was lost won’t be good enough.

Developer Bernie Stone of Stone Chase Properties says people rebuilding after Sandy need to use stronger materials – unless they want to face the same problems after the next big storm.

“One of the most important things to do is hurricane glass,” he said.

The alternative, plywood, probably isn’t practical for most people whose shore home is not their primary dwelling.

“Are you going to run down there in the face of the hurricane to put up your plywood walls to protect your glass?”

Stone says that using six-inch studs when framing up a house, instead of the standard four-inch studs, also helps when Mother Nature unleashes her fury.

 

Finally, he said, Sandy gave a good measure of just how much damage winds can do, and how high flooding can go in a given location. People should use that knowledge when designing a replacement house.

 

“you want to go and be sure your product is on pilings and the whole thing is tied together from top to bottom, all the way over the roof because it’s that tremendous sucking power the hurricane causes kinda lifts as the wind hits the building it also lifts and that’s when things start to blow apart.”

 

Insurance companies are asking for these types of upgrades before they’ll cover new construction in shore areas.