What Are the Straps in a Roof?

Hurricane Straps

• Roof straps are thin pieces of metal that are attached to the joists above your ceiling. Often called "hurricane straps," these devices secure the frame of your roof to prevent it from blowing away in high winds. Hurricane straps are rectangular metal straps that are wrapped around your rafters and attached fastened to the top of your wall studs. Each strap has premade holes for fasteners in a variety of places. These holes allow you to use roofing straps effectively on most styles of roofing.

Exterior Installation

• Installing roofing straps in your home will improve its structural integrity and make it more durable during high winds or natural disasters. If you want to add straps to your home, you must expose the area where the rafters of your roof meet the wall studs. You can reach this area through the attic or from the outside of your home. Installing roofing straps from the exterior offers more working space but requires you to remove the plywood roof sheathe from the underside of your roof's eaves. After attaching the roofing straps to each rafter, you must replace the sheathing to prevent rain and water vapor from entering your attic.

Interior Installation

• If you want to avoid using a ladder, you can go through the attic instead. This method is often uncomfortable with limited working space, however, you will not need to remove the sheathes from your eaves or wait for clear weather. To expose the rafters and the wall studs you may need to move insulation. Once the area underneath the eaves is exposed, attach one end of the strap to the side of the rafter and wrap the free end around the top of the rafter and down the other side to the wall stud below it. Make sure the strap is drawn tight and fastened securely at both ends. Repeat this process for each stud and rafter.

Considerations

• Roofing straps are easier to install during construction. Roofing straps are an effective means of securing your roof to the walls of your house, however, damage can still occur if your walls are not properly anchored to the foundation of your home. Make sure that your hurricane straps are made of galvanized metal to make sure that they do not corrode and weaken over time.