Assessing Steel Barndominium Safety in Tornadoes and Severe Weather
Steel barndominiums have gained popularity for their wide-open custom spaces and budget-friendly pricing. But for homeowners in storm-prone regions, a key question remains – how safely will these metal pole barns actually withstand destructive forces like tornadoes, hurricanes, and hailstorms compared to traditional housing?
Tornado Resistance Capabilities
When engineered properly, steel barndominiums can utilize their inherent structural advantages to resist tornado damage:
– Steel framing is resilient against the immense pressures and tensile stresses generated by extreme winds.
– Deeply anchored foundation tie-downs prevent entire building uplift better than platform framed houses.
– Steel roof and siding panels outperform traditional shingles, shutters and siding thanks to tighter fastening systems.
– Post/beam designs evenly distribute wind loads across multiple connection points, limiting risk of structural collapse.
– Fewer exterior penetrations like windows lessen opportunities for wind ingress and internal pressurization.
– Open floorplans help minimize load concentrations on interior walls that could domino into collapse.
To maximize tornado protection, install rated wind-resistant exterior doors/windows, pursue advanced roof-to-wall windlocking connections, and consider steel storm shutters for openings. Leaving a building’s interior unfinished until after storm season passes also reduces potential deadly debris.
Performance in Hurricanes and Hail
Focused engineering for high wind load resistance makes steel barndos extremely resilient against hurricane-force winds and driving rain as well. Their heavy non-combustible construction also protects against wildfires often sparked by storms.
With limited exterior glass exposure, thick metal roofing and siding materials, barndominiums also withstand heavy hail storms better than houses susceptible to exterior sheathing perforations, leaks and glass breakage.
While no structure can be guaranteed fully tornado or hurricane proof, steel barndominiums reinforced properly against wind, debris impact, and uplift offer structural advantages over contemporary housing in severe weather. Their durable exteriors engineered for extreme load resistance provide reassuring protection families can rely on.
