During hurricane season, it is important to be prepared for severe weather. Use these tips to protect your home from wind damage ahead of a storm.
Brace the Garage Door to Protect Your Home From Wind Damage
If a garage door is not reinforced, it can easily be ripped off its tracks during a hurricane. When this happens, everything inside your garage is at risk. A strong storm could tear items from your garage and damage your home or your neighbors’ homes. Brace the garage door at the first news of a hurricane. You can buy retrofit kits to brace the inside of a garage door or replace your garage door with a new hurricane-ready door.
Board Up Windows and Doors
Steel or aluminum storm shutters are a great investment for anyone who lives in a hurricane-prone area. Keep them in an accessible place so that you can install them quickly when you know that a storm is coming.
Secure the Roof
All new construction homes in Florida should have roof straps built-in, but older homes may not. It is expensive but possible to have roof straps installed on an existing home. Shingle roofs should have at least six nails or staples in each shingle, including under the edges where they overlap. A waterproof underlayment also helps protect your roof during a hurricane. Fasten metal roofs to the siding with clips, screws, and bolts.
Take Care of Trees to Protect Your Home From Wind Damage
Trees are threats during a hurricane. Large branches break off and sometimes entire trees fall. You don’t want any weak, leaning, or otherwise compromised trees anywhere near your home. Tree removal is expensive, but not as expensive as the damage caused by a tree falling on your home. Branches hanging over your roof should be removed before a storm hits.
Store or Anchor Items in the Yard
Items in your yard, like grills, patio furniture, and play structures can get lifted up by the wind and thrown around. They can smash through your windows or into your neighbors’ homes and cause damage to houses and vehicles. To prevent this, anchor large items that can’t be brought inside securely to the ground. Bring portable items like patio furniture inside the garage or house.
Manning Home Inspections provides wind mitigation insurance inspections to the Palm Beach area. Contact us to schedule our services.