American Made!

Quite often I am asked where "Cable-Tite" is made. The answer: Gallatin, Tennessee. You may wonder why a foundry in Gallatin TN manufactures a hurricane tie-down system that's used in high wind regions outside of Gallatin TN.

We are first of all, a foundry, started in the 1950's making steel parts for a number of industries, including military, automotive, aircraft, and nuclear plants. A new home builder came to us to solve the problem of hurricane tie-down systems that were either difficult to install or lacked hold-down capabilities.

As a result, our engineers patented this cable tie-down system for uplift protection to meet a demand for better protection than current systems that use stamped aluminum hurricane clips or threaded rods. At Cable-Tite we love to say that we exceed codes, that we are better than we have to be, and "that it's not tight, until it's Cable Tite"

The three steel parts, the anchor nut, the anchor cap, and the top plate are made from poured steel in our foundry, the same basic steel materials used for tanks and machine guns. Steel, poured at 2800 degrees, not stamped out aluminum clips. The cable vises are made for us in Chicago.

So, when we say "Made in America" it is!!! Buy America!!!!

Tornado in Cleveland TN.

Wednesday afternoon a tornado touched down in Cleveland TN, near my daughter's house. She sent me a photo of damages to a house nearby. I am posting it because this is a classical mistake in building codes, and a mistake that Cable-tite can correct. Look at the close-up on the left of the foundation. Notice that the top block is still attached to the house. This is because the anchor bolts were set in the top row. They held......but what didn't hold was the mortar joint.

The sad part is that this house is built "to codes". At Cable-tite, we have pushed to build "beyond codes". If the builder had installed the anchor bolts into the footers (or slab) and attached Cable-tite to them with extended cable attached to the top plate, this problem would have been avoided. The cost during construction for Cable-tite could have been approximately $1000, and the house would have been secure.

Cable-tite is not considered tornado protection. A heavier wind would have destroyed the house with or without Cable-tite. But in this particular case, it would have saved the house.

For builders reading this.....please.....sink the anchor bolts into the footers, EVEN if you chose not to use our products. There is virtually no cost for doing that. Call me and I'll help guide you in building a more secure home.

Homeowners.....ask for Cable-tite by name. Cable-tite is the leader in hurricane protection and straight line winds that create uplift. This most recent flurry of tornadoes had straight-line winds, some over 100 MPH in Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, and Tennessee.

Cable-tite is concerned about your safety.

Housing starts up in January 2011

"Housing starts up 14% in January to 596,000 units. The U.S. home building industry beat market forecasts in January, as starts rose 14.6 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 596,000 units — the highest level since September 2010, according to the U.S. Commerce Department."

More good news for the new home construction industry....housing starts up again. We continue to see a recovery, which everyone loves to hear. We are not back to 2007 housing start rates, but at least better than 2009 and 2010.

At Cable-tite, we are proud to be part of the hurricane and high-wind uplift protection used in new homes in the wind zone regions. Thanks for using our cable tie-down system in your engineered designs. Remember...."it's not tight, until it's Cable-tite"

Architects, Engineers, Contractors, and Home Owners: Please call us for advise or help with your wind protection questions.

Multi-generational Housing

In early 2007, housing took a downturn, and still today isn't near the 2006 levels for new home construction. However, the demand for housing did not decrease. That is, new households continue to be established at the same rate. The problem felt nationwide was that the new household didn't have the funds to purchase either an existing home, or a new home. The trend for two households to share the same dwelling is increasing.

But, this is nothing new. In 1900, 57% of homes had two or more households of multi-generational families living together. Quite often there were persons over 65 living with their extended family. With the post-war boom through the end of the century, the percentage decreased to approximately 16%. However, since 2000, there has been a 30% growth in multi-generational family dwellings.

What does all this mean? It means that architects and new home builders are reconsidering the master plan to include space for either returning children called "boomerang" kids or older parents. This often includes two master bedrooms, one level housing, finished space in either the attic or the basement, or even a "suite". Some small families are including a separate living space for rental income. Builders are referring to the added or finished space as "Residence Two".

At Cable-Tite we realize that whatever the housing trends are, there is still a need for high-wind uplift protection. Maybe even more so with more lives to protect. Don't overlook the need for a continuous tie-down from the anchor bolts to the top plate. The Cable-Tite system is the only hurricane tie-down system to offer "continuous" tie-downs, and it exceeds new home construction code requirements.

Housing starts are UP

Let's not overlook any positive news in housing starts. A report just out shows that new home construction starts are on the increase.

"Privately-owned housing starts in November were at a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 555,000 — 3.9 percent above the revised October estimate, according to the Commerce Dept.
Single-family housing starts in November were at an annual rate of 465,000, up 6.9 percent from the revised October figure of 435,000. The November rate for units in buildings with five units or more was 72,000. "


The details of the report show that increases were substantial in the high wind regions. Jacksonville, NC had the best increase of all US cities. More housing means more demand for high wind uplift protection from hurricane winds. And, more demand for Cable-Tite brand cable tie down systems. For those of you following this Blog, make sure you are engineering Cable-Tite into your new home construction.

Don't eliminate the mortgage tax deduction

You may not know that there is a proposal to eliminate the mortgage tax deduction. This is among the efforts to eliminate all tax deductions. As for the home builders and the construction industry, the mortgage tax deduction is critical for the growth of this market segment. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, we support new home construction. It is one tradition that has meant economical growth for decades. At Cable-tite, we do not want to see this deduction eliminated, and support NAHB and many other agencies who are fighting this proposal. Please do you part to let it be known that we need to keep the home owner mortgage deduction! http://www.savemymortgageinterestdeduction.com/ The consequences would be devastating for home owners, the housing market and the nation’s economy.

The case FOR home ownership

TIME magazine published a story in Sept 6, 2010 issue about the loss of the American dream of home ownership. Not only was it a discouraging article, it was wrong! There is nothing more central to the American way of life than home ownership, and that dream is just as alive today as ever. Young couples can take advantage of the lower interest rates to make home ownership affordable. It gives them a root for growing their families and establishing a stable community.

TIME looked at home ownership as an investment, from a financial side. True that prices haven't escalated as in the past, but it is still a sound investment. A home is far more than a financial investment. It is an investment in the family, which still today, is the American Dream.

Home building has a strong economic impact on the local economy. This is why Obama and the economic stimulus package gives rebates and tax credits to new buyers. The growth of new home construction, some say, will have the greatest impact on overall American economic recovery. Home owners paying real estate taxes are the primary source of local government funds. More home owners, more money in the local ecomony for better schools, better roads, better community!

Studies show that home owners are keeping their houses longer. Therefore, it would make more sense to build a better, more secure home. Spend a few extra dollars to build beyond codes. that includes adding the best hurricane tie-down system available, Cable-Tite. It was designed by engineers to exceed construction codes for protection from high wind uplift by using cables attached from the top plate to the anchor bolts for maximum protection.

Buy a new home with confidence about your investment in your family and your future, and insist on Cable-Tite uplift protection.

Brian Harris Homes - block foundations

From time to time we have questions about using Cable-tite as hurricane and high wind tie-down protection with block foundations. There is a little more work to anchor the top plate to the foundation anchor bolts, but it can be done.

I recently worked with Matt Harris at Brian Harris Homes, a new home builder in middle Tennessee. One thing I liked that Harris did was core fill the block to the footer. This offers much better hold down value than blocks with only the top block filled.

After the house was framed and roofed, I went to the crawl space and installed the anchor nut and cap. I drilled a 3/8 hole for the cable, then attached it to the top plate as standard installation. I crawled back under the house and locked the Cable-tite firmly in place.

NOTE: See the small blue electrical wire sticking through the floor above the drill in the photo above? I drilled a small 1/8" hole in the subfloor and used the blue wire to mark my place. Upstairs, I drilled the 3/8" hole for the cable. This is much easier when working in a small crawl space.

In this photo of the finished installation, note that the anchor nut, cap and cable vise are not seen. They are in the crawl space below.

A better foundation!

Building a better foundation is the philosophy of Matt Harris with Harris Homes, new home builders. Cable-tite is working with him to install our hurricane and high wind tie-down systems in a new home for Tonya and Chaz Jetton.

My big complaint has been that most of the time the anchor bolt is only secured in the top block of the foundation. This makes the weakest part of the tie-downs the mortar joint between the top block and the one below it. As you can see in the right photo above, the mason is filling the entire cell with mortar, all the way to the footer. He also uses an 18" anchor bolt which secures it to the second block. This creates a much better foundation with which to attach the Cable-tite anchor nut. For Cable-tite to work correctly, the elements surrounding installation need to be strong. Harris believes the same, and proves it by filling the block. Thanks! Cable-tite will attach to the anchor bolt then connect to the top plate for the ultimate in uplift protection.

In the left photo you will notice that some of the anchor bolts are not perfectly straight. That is not a problem for Cable-tite because of the flexibility of the cable. It would not work with threaded rods.

Floods in Tennessee - May 1-2

For those reading this blog living in Tennessee, you know all about "The Flood" of 2010. Very difficult to absorb and comprehend. Our hearts go out to those who had losses, and wish them Godspeed in their recovery.

On Saturday afternoon the non-stop broadcast showed a spot on the weather map and told those residents living near there to expect "shear winds" as strong as 100 MPH. The weatherman followed that warning for an hour or so as these high winds traveled across middle Tennessee.

So many new home builders, architects, and engineers say that Cable-Tite is not needed in the "non" wind zones, and so often I say "what if". This weekend that "what if" came true. Winds at 100 MPH are the same as a Category 2 hurricane. Codes in non wind regions do not require tie-downs. Even though this is somewhat rare, what if it were your house in the path shown on that weather map? Wouldn't you be thankful your builder installed Cable-Tite.

Middle Tennessee locals will recall the video of the school portable floating down Interstate 24 near Bell Road. WOW!!!! If they had used Cable-Tite to anchor it to it's foundation, it would not have floated away.

If you are reading this and building outside the high-wind regions of the US, please.....consider Cable-Tite for your safety.

WKRN Channel 2 News story

http://www.wkrn.com/global/story.asp?s=12223631#

(video on website)

GALLATIN, Tenn. - A Gallatin company has designed a system that may keep homes in one piece during high winds.
Cable-Tite installs high tension cables within the walls of new construction homes. The cables are anchored in the foundation and tied to the roof.
"What we're trying to do is hold the roof to the foundation," Cable-Tite's Dale Richardson explained. "We want to keep the square of the top plate and the bottom plate and the walls as a cube and hold it together."
The science behind Cable-Tite is that if the home is kept squared, with the roof intact, the construction can withstand higher sustained winds and wind gusts.
Richardson said, "When you have high winds, it's trying to push the roof off the top of the house and when the roof goes up, then the walls fall over."
Cable-Tite has only been in business for two years and has done most of its work so far along the Gulf Coast and in Houston, Texas.
As for costs, according to Richardson, in "most houses, it's going to be maybe 1% of the total cost, if you're talking a $200,000 home, maybe $1,200 to $1,500."
Gallatin builder Fred Yates told News 2 he wouldn't think of building another house without Cable-Tite.
He's currently including the system in a massive upper-scale home on Old Hickory Lake.
"Anytime [the wind] starts whipping up, you can see it can get under that roof and lift it up," he said. "If you don't have something holding it down, it can tear it right off."
Yates said he can see the system gaining popularity quickly among other builders who build upscale homes, and once others see the benefit, the cable system will be in demand in mid-priced houses.
"This system will probably not withstand a Category 5 [Hurricane], but nothing will, but the peripheral winds, the ones that are 60, 70, 90 miles per hour, you don't have a problem," he said. "It'll hold it down.
Richardson said the system has been lab tested to withstand winds of up to 90 miles per hour, but so far, none of the homes where the system has been installed have been tested by Mother Nature's highest winds.

IAPMO Evaluation Report - News Release

IAPMO ISSUES FAVORABLE CABLE-TITE REPORT

Gallatin, TN – On March 1, 2010 the IAPMO Certification Board issued an Evaluation Report which certifies that Cable-Tite meets the International Building Code for residential wood-frame construction in high-wind regions. IAPMO reviewed the certified Smith-Emery Laboratories test results with their engineering staff and determined that Cable-Tite’s claim as a hurricane hold-down system was true. The report, number 0170, is available to read online at www.cabletite.com.

New home builders continue to search for the most robust system for protection from uplift caused by high winds. There is a good, better, and best approach for what they choose. The metal hurricane clips are a good system that allows for minimum protection. The threaded rods offer better protection but are difficult to install. The best system is the “Cable-Tite” system that uses cables to create a continuous path from the roof to the foundation.

“Other current methods are time consuming and expensive. Cable-Tite is an easy system to install, in about half the time, and offers better protection”, says Dale Richardson, Business Development Director at Cable-Tite. “The high-strength steel cable is attached to the top plate and held securely in place with our patented cam locking cap and nut screwed to the concrete embedded anchor bolt.”

With the recent certification, engineers, builders, codes inspectors, and ultimately, home owners can request and use Cable-Tite Tie-Down Systems with confidence.