Hurricane Protection – Prepping Your House from Potential Disaster
Damages caused by hurricanes can be destructive for your house. The extreme weather conditions can impair any house like shatter windows, tear apart roofs and knock over trees. Your house is also vulnerable to water damage from the heavy rains. Nevertheless, there are precautions you can take to protect your property from heavy storms. Follow the practices listed below to ensure you, your family and your home is defended from a hurricane and to prevent excessive storm damage repairs.Hurricane Preparation Checklist
- Garage Door – To avoid any major storm damage restorations, your garage door should be one of the primary things to check for. Most of the garage doors in residential neighborhoods aren't installed to defend against hurricane conditions, so it's important to buy a support kit. Through bracing your garage door, you'll prevent the winds that create a positive push in your space. This is integral since the winds that develop outside will create a negative pull above your garage. When this occurs, you'll get a tug-of-war scenario which puts a lot of stress on your roof and garage. Getting a support kit for your garage door is an efficient way to prevent excessive damage. But, if don't have the time to install the garage door kit, you can use your vehicle to support your garage door.
- Windows and Doors – The other susceptible areas in your home are your access points like your windows and doors. Broken windows will allow wind and rain to move through your property, and this can lead to water damage issues. When a hurricane is on the way, make sure you lock and secure your windows. If you have storm shutters, ensure they are in good condition and locked, but if you don't have storm shutters, you can board up your windows to keep potential damage out of your residence. Also, remember that using masking tape on your windows doesn't secure them at all. Concerning your doors, lock the deadbolts or any other locking mechanisms to confirm they don't pop open during heavy wind gusts.
- Roof – A roof checkup is important, and you should scan for any out of place shingles and other vulnerable spots. Get some roof cement to fix any loose shingles, and you should consider getting hurricane straps to ensure your roof is secure to your home. Also, it's a good idea to seal any areas where wires come into your house to prevent any water damage from happening. In the course of your roof inspection, this is a good time to see if your gutters are cleaned out. You want to confirm you have good irrigation for the heavy rains that happen during a hurricane.
- Your Property – Your yard can be a number one hazard when a hurricane approaches. Items that aren't weighed down or fastened to the ground could be picked from the high wind and be hurled into your residence and your neighbor's too. Walk around your property and move any patio furniture, BBQs, garden accessories and children's toys to a location safe from the storm. One other thing you'll want to do is remove any loose or dead limbs from your trees and shrubs.
- Car – Your car can easily be forgotten when you're securing your home for a hurricane. But it's just as critical to get your car ready too, so ensure you have: your gas tank filled, good windshield wipers, good tires and your windows sealed. Furthermore, be mindful of where you park your car, especially if you park on the street. Check that your car isn't under any trees or in a location that's susceptible to flooding.
