For most parts of the country, hurricanes are not something people think about on a regular basis. But for residents of the East Coast and around the Gulf of Mexico the mention of hurricanes brings back painful memories of huge storms that ravaged their homes. Hurricane season officially takes place from June to November every year, with the peak of storm activity happening somewhere between August and October. Unfortunately, even though hurricanes and other extreme weather are becoming more common, people still do remarkably little to prepare their homes and family for a natural disaster. This post will hopefully give you some valuable tips and insight on how to prepare your home for a hurricane.
1) Reinforce the Garage Door
The garage has the largest door in your entire home. Although it may seem solid, during a hurricane, garage doors have a tendency to fold in on themselves and collapse. Once the garage door has collapsed it will give the hurricane-force winds the foothold they need to enter your home and possibly rip the roof off.
To reinforce your home’s garage door the best option would be to install a double garage door, which has been shown to hold up to extreme winds and impact damage. Those can be expensive though, so a more cost-effective option would be to purchase a wind brace kit. A wind brace kit will give you all the tools and supplies you need to add vertical metal bars to the more susceptible parts of your garage door.
2) Install Roof Clips
In some Southern states or other high-risk areas, roofers will take preventive measures against hurricanes when they install your roof and put in roof clips. These metal clips that roofers install are also referred to as ties or hurricane straps. The purpose of roof clips is to increase the strength of the roof where it ties into the walls of your home. The goal is that the more points of contact there are hold your roof in place, the less likely it is to be torn completely off. A roof clip kit can be purchased from your local home improvement store or ordered online. It would also be beneficial for you to perform regular roof inspections to make sure nothing is damaged or out of place before a storm.
3) Protect Your Windows
Before a storm, you will often see homeowners taping their windows. While some may assume this protects the glass from high winds, it actually doesn’t. Tape does, however, help to keep the glass in larger more manageable pieces when it does break. The best budget solution will always be sheets of plywood laid over the windows and then secured with clips. Plywood will protect the glass from impacts and most wind. If you want a more permanent solution, then we suggest purchasing hurricane shutters or impact shutters. These specially designed shutters will offer the ultimate protection from the high winds and flying debris associated with hurricanes.
If you are unsure about where to start with your hurricane preparations or simply need a second opinion, contact the Handyman Company today! One of our helpful team members will supply you with all of the information you need to prepare for hurricane season.
