Get Your Home Ready For The Storms
You might live in a very turbulent area where you get hit with storms all the time or you are destined to get hit by a storm soon. But, stormy season is coming for everyone. So, get out there and make sure that your home is protected from the storms that are about to come.
The first thing you will want to look at is the roof. Your home can’t endure long with roof problems. When water comes in through the roof, if it is given time to cause damage, mildew will grow and totally destroy areas of your home where it is allowed to touch. I once saw a roof leak destroy an entire closet area. By the time I was asked to look at it, the whole closet had to go along with everything in it.
Make sure you have no leaks. But also, make sure that the roof you have will be able to withstand strong storms during stormy season. Give your roof extra support where needed. There is no need to redo your roof if you just had it done within a few years. But, have a builder give you support suggestions. Ask about such things as galvanized metal hurricane straps for example.
During a storm, your windows can be easily broken. Not just from gusts of wind that blast into your home, but from debris that might be caught in the wind. Trees that fall or branches that fall off of trees have been known to break through windows during a storm and there’s nothing you can do about it until the storm is over.
I often look at shutters that are placed on windows for looks. They don’t pull shut because they are only there for looks. It’s time to go back and realize how important the shutters can be. Install shutters on your windows that can pull shut. When the storms come, open your windows, pull the shutters shut, lock them together and close your windows. Do it old school way! Your shutters will pay for your windows over and over.
Normally, your doors can withstand the wind. But, hurricane season can be exceptionally brutal. When doors are damaged, they can add further damage to your home. They are not part of the structural support. But, they are tied into it.
All you have to do is make sure that your external doors have proper locking. A door knob isn’t wholly sufficient. Sometimes, the deadbolts aren’t enough either. Back them up with extra locking and staying power. Heck, you’ll be happy with that decision if you ever have to protect your family from intruders.
Weather stripping will keep your energy costs low. Inspecting the structure of your home will help you save it for years to come. But, giving your roof, windows and doors the attention they need now will keep you from having to put your home back together next year after the winds blow it down this stormy season.
