Across wide swathes of the USA, particularly Southern states such as Florida, Louisiana, and Texas, residents should be aware of the severe dangers of hurricanes. Your house could be in danger of severe damage or even be completely destroyed. While this can sound scary, there are a whole variety of ways that you can defend against the effects of hurricanes. Read our complete guide in order to learn all about protecting your house.
Waterproof Your Basement
Hurricanes come with severe flooding, which means that it is essential to waterproof your basement. There are a variety of companies that can help to do this for you. Make sure that all the pipes are secure and that you have lined your basement with heavy-duty materials that make it harder for water to come in. Even then, it can be hard to completely mitigate against these effects, so make sure that you bring all items from the basement to the upper level of your house as the hurricane arrives. If your basement has already been damaged by flooding, Deep Water offer great water damage repair in the Dallas and Fort Worth areas.
Closing and Bolting Your Windows
Your windows are at the most risk of damage from the effects of hurricanes. It makes sense, as a result, to make sure that your windows are shut and securely bolted. If you think that your windows will not be able to withstand the impact as they are, it may make sense to install heavy-duty bolts which can truly make a difference.
Doing an Impact-Resistance Report
Impact-resistant windows and walls can help to mitigate the effects of hurricanes. It is worth going around your house and seeing ways that you can help to increase impact resistance. You can also bring in an independent evaluator to help you with recommendations. This will cost you a fair bit of money, but this is absolutely nothing compared to the amount of money that will be wasted by a devastating storm such as Hurricane Harvey.
Bringing Your Furniture Inside
Whether it is lawn chairs, tables or BBQs, absolutely everything outside that you deem of value needs to brought inside. The furniture that already exists inside should be bolted to the floor as well, if possible, in order to make sure that it stays safe. Additionally, hanging lights and artworks should be bolted or removed as they are at most risk of falling on the floor.
Upgrading Roof Durability
Your roof is also at high risk of caving in during a hurricane. That is why it might make sense to think about improving your roof durability. It may be worth taking a look at your house and thinking about changing the type of roof that you have. It goes without saying that a flat roof will pose less risk from hurricanes than a sloped roof — but then in the event of heavy rainfall, it can be more dangerous. Make sure to do extensive analysis and talk to experts before figuring out exactly what to do with your roof.
