Ways To Protect Your Home During A Storm

8/26/2020 (Permalink)

1. Clear away outdoor items. Make sure all lawn furniture, gardening tools, sporting equipment, and other outdoor items are stored away if a storm is heading your way.

2. Trim the trees. Take time to examine the trees in your yard. Storms will often snap large tree branches, which can damage your home’s siding, smash your car, or even topple power lines. If a tree has a loose connection with a big branch, consider sawing it off.

3. Install storm shutters. Installing impact resistant shutters or impact resistant glass can prevent your windows from shattering.

4. Have standby power. Electrical lines are vulnerable during storms. Fallen branches can easily snap the power lines, and lightning strikes can blow up transformers causing major power outages. A whole–house surge protective device runs in the $200 to $300 range and is easy for an electrician to install. For extreme weather, consider purchasing a home generator to keep your power on in the event of long–term electricity outages

5. Flood proof your home.Heavy rainstorms can lead to flooding, which can potentially destroy your entire home. If you live in an area of high probability of flooding, there’s a chance your Homeowners insurance won’t cover the repairs, so be sure to check what your policy includes. One preventative option is dry flood – proofing your house by making the foundation watertight with concrete. Another option is wet flood–proofing, which consists of modifying areas under the house, such as basements and crawlspaces, to allow floodwaters to enter and exit.

6. Have plans for where you will go.It’s a good idea to have a plan of where you and your family will go in case you must evacuate the home. Some homes simply aren’t safe to remain in when the weather really gets rough. Once you hear the hurricane warning, prepare a bag with important papers and valuables. Also, always keep water, a first aid kit and other things you might need at hand. After all, you never want to lose sight that your main concern is not your home, it’s the people living in it.

7. Check your house for weakness. According to experts in the field, the force of the wind during a storm can cause weak places in your home to fail. Therefore, it’s important to make sure your house is solid. There are things you can do to help make your home stronger before the next hurricane. Experts advise these four areas to be thoroughly checked – the roof, windows, doors and garage door. (if you have one). It’s better to be over-prepared than under-prepared.