A hurricane can be a devastating event. Not only can it cause damage to property, but it can also leave communities without power or water for weeks on end. If you live in an area that is prone to hurricanes, it is important to take steps to protect your home from storm damage, especially since hurricane season is coming up.
Hurricane-proofing your house starts with making sure that it is in excellent structural condition. It comes as no surprise to anybody who has experienced this natural phenomenon that hurricanes are always accompanied by projectiles with speeds of up to 150 miles per hour that can even exceed 200 miles per hour.
Tips and Ways to Protect Your Home from a Hurricane
1. Install Hurricane-Resistant Glass Windows
Installing high-impact windows can help protect your home from damage during a hurricane. The hurricane-resistant glass windows will keep the wind and rain out, withstand flying objects, and help keep the house from being blown away.
Hurricane shutters are another way to protect your windows from high winds and flying debris. Hurricane shutters help protect your windows from high winds and flying debris. These hurricane window shutters come in a variety of materials, including aluminum, plywood, and polycarbonate.
Installing hurricane-resistant glass windows and hurricane shutters can help protect your home from storm damage.
2. Reinforce Your Roof
Another way to hurricane-proof your house is to make sure that your roof is in good condition and can withstand high winds. During a hurricane, your roof has constant exposure to wind, water, and other outside forces, thus making your roof one of the most vulnerable elements of the house. Taking the next step to hurricane-proof your home, you need to reinforce your roof and make sure it is able to withstand these conditions.
One way to do this is by installing hurricane straps. Hurricane straps help to keep your roof attached to the rest of your house during high winds. Another way to reinforce your roof is by installing a metal hurricane panel over your roof deck. This will provide an extra layer of protection from water and wind damage.
Hurricane-resistant roofing materials can also help keep your roof from being blown away in high winds. These materials include Installing hurricane straps or hurricane clips to secure your roof to the rest of your house. These hurricane-proofing measures can help protect your home from storm damage.
3. Strengthen Your Exterior Entry Points
Your doors and garage doors are another vulnerable part of your house during a hurricane. High winds can easily tear off a poorly secured door or garage door, leaving your home exposed to the elements.
Among these two, garage doors are bigger and the largest entry point to your home. If your garage doors aren’t properly secured, high winds might strip them away, causing air pressure to rise and potentially sending the roof of your house flying off.
To hurricane-proof your entry points, you can install heavy-duty garage doors and impact-resistant entry doors. Reinforcing the frame of your door is also a good idea to help protect it from damage in case of a hurricane or storm. You can do this by installing hurricane shutters or storm panels.
Fiberglass fenestration materials are renowned for their durability. That is why they are a natural fit for coastal applications where hurricane-force winds may occur. Replacing your old doors with fiberglass doors is another way to help to minimize any damage that might be caused by flying debris in the event of a hurricane.
4. Provide Additional Protection and Security to Your HVAC System
Your HVAC system is one other vital part of your house that needs to be hurricane-proofed. The high winds and heavy rains of a hurricane can easily damage your HVAC system, leaving you without air conditioning or heat in the aftermath of the storm. In addition, HVAC systems can be costly to repair or replace.
To hurricane-proof your HVAC system, you can install hurricane shutters or storm panels over the vents and intakes of your system. This will help to protect the delicate parts of your HVAC system from damage. You should also consider installing a generator to provide power to your HVAC system in the event of a power outage.
5. Landscape Your Yard
Believe it or not, your landscaping can help protect your home from hurricane damage. Trees and shrubs can act as a barrier against high winds and flying debris. By planting hurricane-resistant trees such as live oaks, you can minimize the damage to your property in a hurricane.
Cleaning your gutters and downspouts will ensure that water can flow freely in event of a hurricane storm.
Pruning your leaves and branches regularly can also help to hurricane-proof your home. By removing dead or dying branches, you can reduce the chances of them falling and causing damage to your house in high winds.
6. Secure Loose Items
In addition to reinforcing your windows, doors, roof, and HVAC system, you should also take steps to secure any loose items around your property that could become flying debris in high winds. Things like patio furniture, planters, and lawn decorations should be brought inside or securely fastened down.
7. Create a Preparedness Plan
Having a hurricane preparedness strategy in place is one of the most effective methods to protect your property. You may minimize damage to your home and keep your family safe by knowing what to do if there is a hurricane.
Some things you should include in your hurricane preparedness plan are:
- evacuating your house in case of a hurricane
- securing your house before the hurricane hits
- knowing where to go in case of a hurricane
- having a supplies list ready
The following machines are effective to be included in our preparedness plan:
- Sump Pump: also known as a basement sump pump or crawl space sump pump, is a device used to remove water from your basement or crawl space.
- Portable Generator: a battery-powered unit that can be used to power your home in the event of a power outage.
- Surge Protector: helps protect your electronic equipment against power surges.
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If you haven’t done so already, take these precautions now to help keep your family safe as the hurricane season looms. While you may not be able to completely hurricane-proof your home, there are steps you can take to minimize damage and increase safety. Follow these tips to help keep your house safe during a storm.
