Hurricane season can pose some danger to your health as well as the integrity of your home. Storm damages can potentially affect your home or property in several ways.
A heavy storm will cause damage to your roof, making your home susceptible to other dangers. The heavy rain associated with the storm can damage the pitch of your roof as well as the gutter system.
The stormwater will infiltrate into your home, leading to more serious problems such as rotting and mold growth. Your windows and doors are equally prone to breakage by storms. This can result in a need for a roofing company to come to fix the damages to your home.
While storms can be incredibly destructive, the good news is that homeowners will generally get plenty of warning signs before a hurricane or storm finally hits the area.
This only implies that there are a couple of things that you can do to prepare for storm invasion to limit the severity of damage they might cause to your property.
Today in this post, we are going to provide you with five effective tips on how to protect your home during a storm.
1.Make sure your roof is in tip-top condition
Your roof is always your home’s first line of defense against severe weather.
This is why you want to make sure it is in great shape before a storm. Storm experts recommend hiring professional roofers to conduct a thorough inspection of your roof to identify any issues that may worsen during a storm. These experts will look out for clogged gutters, damaged or missing shingles, and any visible leaks.
Roofing gutters prevent rainwater from clogging your roof. Clogged gutters will cause water buildup which could overflow infiltrate into your roof and cause moisture damage.
It is also important to note that missing or damaged shingles create gaps in your roof’s surface, allowing strong winds to find their way beneath the adjacent shingles.
To prevent this from occurring, you need a professional to come and replace all the missing or damaged tiles. The roofing company should also examine your roof for leaks because they pose a serious threat to the integrity of your roofing system.
2. Install hurricane shutters
Entry points such as windows and doors are usually the weakest and most vulnerable parts of your property during a hurricane. Regardless of how strong your windows or doors are, heavy rains and strong winds can still damage them.
Once a window is broken, the strong winds will blow inside your house and wreck the interior of your structure. These winds will apply some upward pressure on your roof, which might just be enough to send it flying! And when the roof is gone, the walls will ultimately collapse and the house will be gone as well.
Storm shutters are protective coverings that effectively prevent the force of strong winds and hurricane debris from causing damage to a house’s interior or destroying its windows and doors.
Storms can easily send objects flying, causing damage to glass windows and doors. Shattered glass can fly around, potentially causing damage to both property and your family.
On most occasions, the material used in making hurricane shutters are aluminum and steel. Sometimes homeowners use plywood as a more cost-effective alternative.
By having shutters installed, your home will stand a chance against destructive winds and flying debris. This will significantly protect your property and other important establishments from devastating calamities including storms, hurricanes, and heavy winds.
3.Store your valuable items in a safe
It might be difficult to prevent buildings from damage, especially during a large storm. However, smaller but valuable items can be stored safely.
The best way to store your valuable items during a storm will largely depend on what you are trying to prevent from being damaged.
Early preparation is key when it comes to ensuring your belongings remain safe during a severe storm. Besides boarding up your house, rushing to keep your valuable items safe in the hours before a hurricane can be an overwhelming experience.
You should keep all your essential documents inside zip-top bags before storing them inside a watertight storage container and keep the container high up where you are sure it can’t get wet during a flood. You also need to scan your documents and store them on a hard drive or in the cloud.
And if you have important jewelry, artwork, heirlooms as well as collectibles, make sure you have them documented and insured before storing them in a secure warehouse. And if you can’t store them in a warehouse, take them with you if you’ll be evacuating.
4. Cut or trim your trees
Pruning offers some form of preventive care for trees during severe storms. Powerful winds can force trees and large branches to fall on your roof, causing further structural damage to your home.
Trees together with their branches will not only damage your roof supports but will also cause tiles or shingles to crack.
It is also extremely important to note that if trees in your compound fall onto neighboring buildings, you will be responsible for the damages caused.
A great rule of thumb is to ensure your trees are cut and trimmed accordingly.
5. Equip yourself with a standby electrical source
Electrical lines are usually vulnerable during storm damage. Fallen trees, as well as branches, can easily damage the power lines and lightning strikes can potentially blow up electrical transformers, resulting in major power outages.
It is also critical to mention that a downed electrical pole, short circuit, or even a lightning strike can result in your home’s power voltage to increase significantly, leading to serious damage to some of your most expensive household appliances.
As such, installing a surge protector should also be a priority. Surge protectors will offer protection to your electrical devices against unexpected voltage spikes.
You need to have an alternative power source such as a generator to keep you going in the event of extended electricity outages.
Conclusion
Powerful storms can cause significant damage, both to human lives and property. And while one cannot prevent storms and other natural disasters, you can prepare for them by doing everything within your power to keep you, your family as well as your property safe.
We have provided you with five effective tips on how to prepare your home for a storm. We hope you find this information helpful and stay safe out there!
