Cyclone work: anchorage, not optimism

What uplift actually does

A cyclone does not push a structure over so much as lift it. A timber cabin is a box with a large roof plane, and uplift finds the weakest connection in the load path — usually the one between the floor frame and whatever it is sitting on.

So the anchorage is a continuous path: roof to wall, wall to floor frame, floor frame to steel feet, steel feet to concrete pad, with straps and threaded rod rather than friction. Where exposure warrants it, an engineer signs the detail.

Before and after the season

For seasonal properties we run a shutdown before the season and a restart after it: check every fixing and strap, drain and isolate what needs it, secure or remove anything loose, and inspect again once the season has passed.

It is a couple of hours twice a year and it is the difference between a small repair and a claim.

Marine specification

A4 stainless throughout, including every fixing nobody sees. Sealed and filtered plant enclosures. Deeper drained cavities behind cladding. Sealed end grain before assembly, not after.

The island's salt load is not extreme by itself — it is the fact that the humidity is continuous that makes corrosion continuous. There is no dry month during which metal gets a rest.

In short

• Continuous load path from roof to concrete, with straps and threaded rod
• Engineer-signed details where exposure warrants it
• Shutdown before the season and inspection after, for seasonal properties
• A4 stainless everywhere, sealed and filtered plant enclosures