What Is a FORTIFIED Roof?
It's Not a Brand. It's a Building Standard.
FORTIFIED Home™ is a voluntary construction and re-roofing program developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS)—a nonprofit research organization that studies how homes fail during disasters.
IBHS spent years testing roofs in their full-scale wind tunnel, blowing Category 3+ hurricane winds at real houses to see what breaks and what survives.
What they found:
- •Most roofs fail at the edges and corners—not the field (middle) of the roof
- •Standard code-built roofs blow apart at 90–110 mph winds
- •Three simple upgrades make a roof 300% more likely to survive intact
FORTIFIED is the result of that science. It's not about better shingles. It's about better engineering.
The Three FORTIFIED Upgrades
Sealed Roof Deck
The Problem:
Standard roofs have gaps between plywood panels. When shingles blow off, water pours through into your attic, walls, and ceilings.
The FORTIFIED Solution:
We seal every seam with peel-and-stick self-adhered membrane, creating a waterproof barrier under the shingles.
Benefit:
Your attic stays dry, even if shingles blow off in a Cat 3 hurricane
Ring-Shank Nails
The Problem:
Standard smooth-shank nails have ~50 lbs of pull-out resistance. At 110 mph winds, that's not enough.
The FORTIFIED Solution:
We use ring-shank nails with ridges that lock into wood like a screw. Pull-out resistance: 200+ lbs—4x stronger.
Benefit:
Your shingles stay on your house, not in your neighbor's yard
Sealed Roof Edge (Strong Edge)
The Problem:
The roof edge is the #1 failure point. Standard drip edge is flimsy metal that peels up in high winds.
The FORTIFIED Solution:
We install reinforced drip edge and seal it to the roof deck with membrane. The edge becomes a bonded system.
Benefit:
Your roof stays intact when 120 mph winds hit the corners
The Insurance Savings Are Real
$500–$1,500/Year in Premium Reductions
In North Carolina, FORTIFIED Roof certification qualifies you for verified insurance discounts from most major carriers. The NC Rate Bureau officially recognizes FORTIFIED as a loss-reduction standard.
Most homeowners save $500–$1,500 per year on their homeowners insurance. That's $5,000–$15,000 over 10 years. Over 30 years? $15,000–$45,000.
The FORTIFIED upgrade pays for itself in 2–4 years. Everything after that is pure savings.
Why K&D for FORTIFIED Roofing?
K&D is one of fewer than 50 FORTIFIED-certified contractors in North Carolina
Todd passed the IBHS certification exam—he knows the science and standards
Our crews are trained on FORTIFIED installation protocols
Every FORTIFIED roof we build is independently inspected and certified by IBHS
We handle all paperwork, documentation, and coordination with your insurance company
Your Roof Won't Fix Itself.
No pressure. No gimmicks. Just honest roofing from a local company that's been here since 2017.
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