Natural disasters can occur at any time, but hurricanes can at least be detected prior to hitting your location. Preparation and planning are the most important things you can execute when a hurricane approaches. Because your house is one of your biggest expenses, it’s a good idea to do what you can to avoid the damages that hurricanes can bring to your house and to avoid any storm damage repair. There are a lot of things to check up on when safeguarding your property for the big storm. To safeguard your property from a hurricane, follow the approaches listed below.
Ways to Brace for a Hurricane
- Garage Door – To avoid any major storm damage repairs, your garage door should be one of the first things to check for. A lot of the garage doors on the market aren’t installed to fight hurricane conditions, so it’s essential to purchase a brace kit. Through supporting your garage door, you’ll have defense against the winds that cause a positive push in your garage. This is significant since the winds outside will generate a negative pull over your garage. When this happens, you’ll get a tug-of-war scenario which puts a lot of stress on your roof and garage. Getting a brace kit for your garage door is an efficient method to avoid excessive damage. However, if it’s too late to install braces, you can use your vehicle to brace your garage door.
- Windows and Doors – Windows and doors are another access-point for a hurricane to cause a catastrophe. Damaged windows will allow rain and wind to move through your house, and this can cause water damage issues. When a hurricane is on the way, make sure you lock your windows. If you have storm shutters, ensure they are in good condition and locked, but if you don’t have storm shutters, you can board up your windows to keep possible damage out of your house. Additionally, remember that using masking tape on your windows doesn’t defend them at all. As for your doors, lock the deadbolts or any other locks to ensure they don’t pop open during strong wind gusts.
- Roof – A roof checkup is important, and you should scan for any loose shingles and other susceptible spots. You can use roof cement to secure any loose shingles, and you should consider hurricane straps to ensure your roof is fastened to your home. Additionally, you’ll want to seal any areas where wires come into your house to avoid any water damage from happening. In the course of your roof examination, this is a good time to see if your gutters are congested. You want to ensure you have good irrigation for the heavy rains that happen during a hurricane.
- Your Property – It’s necessary to clear your yard of any loose items like patio furniture, children’s toys and other miscellaneous garden items. If the item can be picked up from a strong wind storm, then relocate it to a safe location so it doesn’t cause damage to your house and others’ around you. Additionally, examine your trees for any dangling or dead limbs and trim them if necessary.
- Car – Your car can easily be forgotten when you’re prepping your residence for a hurricane. But it’s important to get your car ready too, so check that you have: your gas tank filled, working windshield wipers, good tires and your windows sealed. Furthermore, be cognizant of where you park your car, especially if you park on the street. Make sure your vehicle isn’t beneath any trees or in an area that’s prone to flooding.
Who We Are
Paul Davis offers storm damage repair and remediation services, so if your residence has been injured by a hurricane, contact our professional team. After all, you can only do so much prep work to protect your house from Mother Nature. We can fix and restore your house back to its original status, and we work with a range of home insurers. We can help you examine what’s covered under your insurance. For a Paul Davis franchise in your area, get in touch with us at 832-230-1552.
