We all know that hurricanes are getting more and more frequent in the country, and so it is best for people to start preparing for them. There are some things you could do around your home to make sure that you will be safe.
Brace the garage door
While some of the people think that the most vulnerable part of a house is the roof, the truth is that in fact it is the garage door. Usually these doors aren’t reinforced. During a hurricane there is a positive push in the garage and the wind outside creates a negative pull. This is why you should reinforce the door.
Securing the windows and doors
If the windows get broken, they could let rain and wind inside, increasing the pressure on the roof. The best thing you could do is to get storm shutters. It will also be helpful to secure the windows and doors before the storm comes. You shouldn’t really waste time with taping the windows because it doesn’t help.
When it comes to the doors, you should secure them with several bolts so that the wind won’t be able to open it. When securing the windows and doors make sure that you secure all of them. This is because the hurricane can swirl in just any direction.
Protect your roof
In order to make sure that the roof is bolted to the house securely, you should use hurricane straps. The shingles and roof tiles should also be secure. If there are any loose tiles, you should use roofing cement. Seal the places where the wires enter the home to minimize the damage from water and rain.
Trim the trees
If you have trees around your home, they shouldn’t have any dead sections that could damage the house. The broken limbs could fall on the house and they could also become missiles that could break your windows or the windows of your neighbors.
Although this is something that the insurance policies usually cover, it is possible that you will get back only a part of the costs of the damages. Also if the tree falls but doesn’t hit anything, the insurance company won’t pay for it to be removed from your property.
Make an inventory
If your home is hit by a hurricane, most probably you won’t be able to remember all the items in your home.
photo credit: (www.thisoldhouse.com)
