Hurricane Irma struck our Sunshine State in September 2017, leaving behind a trail of debris and confusion. For the most part, Southwest Florida residents are always prepared for a hurricane, putting together their plans and buying the necessary supplies to guard against the storm, even though we are lucky enough to not be in its direct path most of the time. Even the quality standards issued by the counties in our region are above those in other areas of our country in terms of hurricane preparedness, but Grandview at Bay Beach developer, London Bay Homes, ensures their homeowners’ safety by providing reassurance that the homes they build grant quality structural design and durability against major storms above and beyond what is acceptable in our area.
The quality standards put in place by the Southwest Florida home builder allows residents to put trust in their home. During the full course of construction, London Bay Homes’ quality control manager is on-hand to conduct more than 40 inspections on each home using their 500-point quality control checklist. This quality control process allows them to stand out from their competitors because they use their checklist as a proactive tool during the course of construction and not just something that’s used when the home has been finished. They believe in the core values set forth by the London Bay Homes corporate culture and follow through by completing a final white glove inspection and making sure their clients receive a high-quality home every time.
Those inspections cover every aspect of the home, ensuring the highest structural standards and a defined list of hurricane-resistant features, as well as the home’s sustainability against any hurricane. This features include impact-resistant windows and glass doors that won’t shatter from high winds. Withstanding winds of up to 150 miles per hour, the impact-resistant windows also act as an additional buffer – windows may break but not shatter, preventing flying debris to enter into the home or an influx of wind pressure that can result in excess pressure on the roof and separation of the trusses.
One London Bay Homes client, Rick Cantor, was confident that his London Bay home would keep him and his family safe. Cantor lives in a private lakefront neighborhood in Mediterra, a luxury home community in Naples FL. Cantor had already endured Hurricane Sandy in 2012, one of the deadliest and destructive Atlantic hurricanes, and understood that the circumstances and structural quality of his London Bay home were far different than those surrounding the hurricane in New Jersey.
“I had all the confidence in the world that our London Bay home in Mediterra would be completely fine and safe,” said Cantor. “My daughter and her family were evacuated from Sanibel and came to our home to hunker down,” said Cantor. “We all gathered in the living room while the grandkids played; we could see the heavy wind and rain all around us but couldn’t hear a thing because of the sound barrier structure, which also precludes the need for shutters. We felt comfortable.”
Other quality features of the London Bay Homes construction process include not only building roofs to the newest building code and home reinforcement standards, but also incorporating oversized truss hangers to keep roof systems anchored to walls, which include cement blocking and multiple construction ties to the floor system for structural stability and wind damage prevention. London Bay Homes combines top-quality building science practices with numerous diagnostic testing measure to assess waterproofing, intrusion and prevention, as well as air-quality. Performance checks and ongoing monitoring are also conducted to ensure all homes not only meet hurricane code standards, but exceed them.
“London Bay has always been committed to building advancements and incorporating the best materials to improve our homes,” said Alain Filiault, vice president of construction for London Bay Homes. “Florida’s rainy season and high humidity create many challenges for builders. We have specialized materials designed to withstand strong winds and hurricanes, as well as incorporated a barrier system to protect the interior building frame against water and air intrusion and mold growth.”
These high quality standards extend past construction to the post-storm recovery response efforts and maintenance checks and repairs. After Hurricane Irma, the London Bay Homes team spread out throughout the area to check on some of their previous builds and single-site homes throughout downtown Naples, as well as in Miromar Lakes. “While there were numerous trees and debris scattered about, there was virtually no damage to our homes in the community,” said London Bay Homes’ President Mark Wilson, whose company is developing Grandview at Bay Beach. “It was a testament to the quality and fortress-like structural, as well as architectural integrity of our homes.”
The London Bay Homes team worked to quickly resolve any issues they encountered in their homes and put a plan in place for future storms. “While you can never predict exactly what will happen when a hurricane approaches,” said Wilson, “I’m confident that the quality design and construction of our London Bay homes will be prepared to handle it.”
Schedule your appointment at the Grandview at Bay Beach sales center to learn more about London Bay Homes and get a virtual walk-through of our luxury waterfront condos.