Hurricane Protection: 7 Tips on Safeguarding Your Home

If you live in a hurricane prone area, then there is absolutely no doubt that you will want to find a way to protect yourself, and your property, in the event of an occurrence like that. Hurricanes are certainly unpredictable, so you can never really know when they may start wreaking havoc in your community. They are, naturally, highly powerful, so the damage they can cause can be quite extreme.

Well, if you are like most people, then you won’t just sit tight and wait to see what happens if a hurricane hits your area. Quite on the contrary, what you want to do is get properly prepared for the storm season, and do everything you can in order to protect your particular property. Go here to get some ideas on how to protect your home.

Anyway, you most probably understand already the importance of doing something about this, and of not ignoring the need for protecting your property, and yourself for that matter. Sure, most of us tend to hope that no hurricane will hit our areas, and that’s completely normal, since nobody is really looking forward to such a natural disaster. The truth is, though, that it is much better to be safe than to be sorry. Meaning, thus, that even if you’re not expecting a disaster like this any time soon, you should still do your best to protect your home, just in case something still happens. After all, we’ve made it clear that natural disasters can be quite unpredictable.

So, now that you clearly understand the importance of actually safeguarding your home, and making sure that it can endure a hurricane if it comes its way, without suffering extreme damage, here’s what you want to do next. In short, what you want is to understand better what kinds of steps you should take when aiming at protecting your property. Well, I am going to share some tips that should give you a better idea on how to actually do that.

• Hurricane Shutters Can Help

Strengthening the actual structure of your home is the right path towards making it safer during hurricane season. And, there are, of course, various different steps you can take with that particular goal in mind. For starters, you should think about your windows, which should undeniably be reinforced in one way or another, and installing hurricane shutters could actually help you do that. These shutters will act as a physical barrier between your home and the flying debris during a hurricane.

• Plywood Can Be Plan B

If you’re not quite keen on getting shutters right now, for one reason or another, then you should think about using plywood to your advantage. It could be a good plan B. Covering your windows with plywood could also help protect them to a certain extent. Just make sure that the plywood is cut and fitted before the actual hurricane season.

• Impact Resistant Doors and Windows Are a Must

Since I’m mentioning windows, and since we’re generally talking about the process of strengthening the structure of your home to protect it against hurricanes, here is another thing you absolutely have to know here. Basically, impact resistant doors and windows can be quite the lifesavers in those dangerous situations caused by these kinds of natural disasters. So, they are actually a must, meaning that you shouldn’t hesitate to install them.

Naturally, you shouldn’t rush into doing this either, because you want to find the right provider, as well as choose the perfect solution for your particular doors and windows. When you visit this company, for instance, you’ll realize that you’ll easily be able to find a solution for your windows and doors, and that the most important thing to do here is consider the quality, and not compromise it. This is an investment that should significantly increase the level of safety in your property. But, you have to make sure that you’re working with the right professionals that will provide you with these products and services, so that you can be certain you’re getting the best quality.

• Don’t Forget Your Garage Doors

A lot of people od remember to install those impact resistant doors and windows, as that has become quite a popular, and quite a necessary, step nowadays, when it comes to hurricane protection. Furthermore, they are known to be great for protection of any kind, because they are quite difficult to break, meaning that any intruders will be deterred, which further increases your overall safety. Anyway, while a lot of people get this, there is no doubt that they often fail to consider their garage doors as another entry point to their homes – an entry point that shouldn’t be ignored.

The garage doors tend to be quite susceptible to high winds, so reinforcing them is an absolute must. So, install braces in order to increase wind resistance. But then, if your garage doors are old an outdated, you should undeniably think about replacing them, and choose hurricane rated ones this time.

• Strengthen the Roof

Of course, we can’t exactly speak of strengthening the structure of our homes without mentioning the roof. When it comes to high winds, the roofs are quite vulnerable, and they are the first to fail. So, what you have to do is inspect this part of your home and do any repairs if necessary. Furthermore, use hurricane straps to secure the roof to the walls of your home.

• Clean the Drains and Gutters

Regularly cleaning the drains and the gutters on your property is also of crucial importance. This will prevent water backup, and thus reduce the risk of floods during hurricanes or other natural disasters. Furthermore, you may want to inspect the nearby storm drains as well, to prevent localized flooding.

• Secure Any Outside Objects

Finally, you should find a way to secure any of your outside objects. Anchor the patio furniture, and any other items that could be carried away by strong winds. As for the more lightweight items, such as garden tools or potted plants, make sure to bring them inside.