| | This home in Cameron Parish is now completed and will be on a tour of homes there Sept. 23. (Photo by David Moore) |
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| | Filled-cell concrete masonry units (CMUs) are anchored to continuous reinforced concrete footings for part of LaHouse's foundation. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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| | When completed the garage will serve as the classroom area of LaHouse. (Photo by Mark Claesgens) |
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The LSU AgCenter’s “LaHouse” is designed to hold up against strong winds and flooding and serve as a model for how to build homes with these hurricane-resistant features.
LaHouse is short for Louisiana House – Home and Landscape Resource Center and is an educational resource for homeowners, home builders and architects in the methods that can be used to make homes more user- and resource-friendly. The center is located on a 7-acre site near the LSU Golf Course off Nicholson Drive at the Gourrier and Burbank intersection. Because of its location, the house has an architectural style that mirrors other campus buildings, according to the LSU Master Plan.
Attend an open house at LaHouse every Friday, except holidays, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Built Safer, Stronger, Smarter
LaHouse is a showcase for best practices and code-plus construction. Its flood and wind resistance features meet or exceed the criteria of the Fortified for Safer Living program of the Institute for Business and Home Safety.
For flood protection the house is elevated. Use of flood-resistant materials and methods in some places further protects the structure.
Baton Rouge is in the 100-110 mph wind speed zone. To meet requirements, LaHouse is designed to resist the forces of 130 mph winds. The geometry and dimensions contribute to inherent wind resistance. Its length is less that twice its width. It has no more than two stories, and ceiling heights do not exceed 10 feet.
Hurricane hardware and structural sheathing tie the roof to the walls and the walls to the foundation to create a continuous load path that transfers wind forces on the house down to the ground. Roofing and other external materials are impact-resistant and installed to high-wind specifications. Windows and doors are placed so they do not impair resistance to horizontal wind forces. Openings are protected either by installing hurricane-rated units or by providing external protection (impact-resistant shutters, panels and screens).
South Louisiana has a hot, humid climate with average rainfall exceeding 60 inches per year. Residents spend twice as much time cooling homes as they do heating them. During the cooling time, condensation occurs inside exterior walls. Water trapped in walls can result in mold, wood rot and insect infestation.
LaHouse is built to:
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Shed rainwater and direct it away from the foundation.
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Catch water when it does get in through roofing, cladding or window and door frames.
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Minimize moisture penetration and condensation in walls.
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Provide drainage and drying potential for any condensation that does form.
Foundation
LaHouse has a flood protection level 3 feet above the Base Flood Elevation of 24 feet. This provides a margin of safety and qualifies for the best flood insurance rating. The house is elevated. Sill gaskets prevent air infiltration under wood sills.
The master bedroom in LaHouse has a pier foundation:
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Block piers – filled-cell concrete masonry units (CMUs) – are steel-reinforced and anchored to continuous concrete footing, not independent pads.
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Embedded hurricane straps connect piers to floor beams and to future porch columns.
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Deck and subfloor are treated to prevent decay.
The master bath/utility room has a crawlspace foundation:
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Reinforced CMU chainwall is anchored to reinforced concrete footing.
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Flood vents within 1 foot of grade allow floodwater to flow in and out freely. Some vents have code-compliant closures.
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Crawlspace ground is higher than surrounding grade so water does not collect under the house.
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6 mil plastic ground cover will reduce moisture in crawlspace.
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Wood subfloor is treated to prevent decay.
The garage/classroom has a slab-on-grade foundation:
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Reinforced CMU stemwalls are anchored to continuous, reinforced concrete footings.
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Reinforced concrete slab cap over compacted soil/limestone backfill is anchored to the stemwalls with rebar.
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Durable plastic sheeting under slab and waterproofing compound on upper stemwall prevent moisture migration.
Roof
A hip roof is used for most of LaHouse because it is more aerodynamically resistant to high winds than a gable roof. The roof pitch, 6:12, is strategically designed to minimize leaks and wind loads, yet ensure that water sheds away from the foundation.
Hurricane straps and clips connect rafters. Straps wrap rafters, securing them to the walls. In the teaching center, hurricane hardware connects the rim band to the top plate, which has anchors in the concrete walls. Framing lumber is secured to the rim band with hurricane straps. Soffits and soffit vents made of perforated fiber cement will be attached securely to framing members.
Metal roofing is impact-resistant, wind-resistant and recyclable. Hidden fasteners reduce leaks. Extra screws and edge details create 130-mph wind resistance. Panels are fabricated on site and “snap-locked” into place. High tech “cool color” coating reflects heat like a light color, saving energy and extending roof life.
More Features
The ground slopes away from the house to prevent water soaking through the foundation or creating a condition of constant high humidity on walls.
Sewer lines have backflow valves to reduce the potential for the flooded sewer system to back up into the house.
All electrical wiring, plumbing outlets, heating, ventilation and air conditioning equipment and other mechanicals are at the same level of protection from flood as the main structure. Parts of elevated systems that must extend below the flood line are designed to prevent entry of floodwater.
Learn more about LaHouse.
The LSU AgCenter is one of 11 institutions of higher education in the Louisiana State University System. Headquartered in Baton Rouge, it provides educational services in every parish and conducts research that contributes to the economic development of the state. The LSU AgCenter does not grant degrees nor benefit from tuition increases. The LSU AgCenter plays an integral role in supporting agricultural industries, enhancing the environment, and improving the quality of life through its 4-H youth, family and community programs.