How to Protect Your Home from a Hurricane – Prevent Storm Damage
Natural disasters can occur at any time, but hurricanes can at least be discovered prior to hitting your location. Planning and preparing are the most essential things you can execute when a hurricane approaches. Since your home is one of your most valuable assets, it's a smart idea to do what you can to prevent the perils that hurricanes can bring to your house and to prevent any storm damage restoration. There are lots of things to check up on when safeguarding your house for a hurricane. To secure your house from a hurricane, use the steps below.Necessary Steps in Hurricane Preparation
- Garage Door – If you have a garage, this may be one of the first things you need to take care of. Most garage doors don't have the support to fight strong winds. What can take place is the wind will bring about a positive push in your garage, and the wind outside of the structure creates a negative pull. When this happens, your garage and roof will endure a lot of stress because of this tug-of-war instance. To avoid an excessive storm damage restoration, you can purchase braces that will help your garage door hold off hurricane conditions. This is the most efficient step, but if time isn't on your side, then you can use your automobile to help brace your garage door.
- Windows and Doors – The other vulnerable areas in your house are your entrances like your doors and windows. Busted windows will allow wind and rain to move through your house, and this can cause water damage issues. When a storm is imminent, make sure you lock your windows. If you have storm shutters, make sure they are closed and locked, but if you don't have storm shutters, you can board up your windows to keep potential destruction out of your home. Additionally, remember that sticking masking tape on your windows doesn't do anything to secure them. Concerning your doors, lock the deadbolts or any other locking mechanisms to ensure they don't pop open during heavy winds.
- Roof – Make sure to scan your roof for any out of place shingles and other vulnerable spots. You can use roof cement to repair any loose shingles, and you should consider hurricane straps to make sure your roof is fastened to your home. Additionally, it's a good idea to seal any areas where wires enter into your home to prevent any water damage from occurring. During your roof examination, this is a good time to see if your gutters are clogged. You want to make sure you have appropriate irrigation for the heavy rains that happen during a hurricane.
- Your Property – Take a walk around your lawn prior to the storm. Your shrubs and trees need consideration and might necessitate some trimming. Any dangling or dead branches can be threatening in high winds and could cause some damage to your house. This goes for items on your property like patio furniture too. Move any items that aren't fastened to the ground or weighed down to a secure location before the wind can take them.
- Car – Your car can easily be forgotten when you're prepping your property for a storm. But it's just as crucial to get your car ready too, so make sure you have: your gas tank filled, working windshield wipers, tires with good tread and your windows sealed properly. Furthermore, be conscious of where you park your car, especially if you park on the street. Make sure your car isn't under any trees or in a location that's vulnerable to floods.