3 Tips to Help Your Home Withstand a Hurricane

Renovating a home is a lot of hard work, but renovating a home after a hurricane provides plenty of opportunities to make the design of your home better able to withstand any future hurricanes. A little planning, research and time can help ensure that any future hurricanes that might strike your area won’t total your home. Consider these tips to better prepare your home for a hurricane. Whether you renovating, building or just want to be better prepared, these tips can help you.

Windows

Securing windows is an important first step when designing a house that is in a hurricane region. Splintered glass not only causes damage from needing to be replaced, but the flying debris also poses a risk to anyone in the area. Impact resistant windows are excellent additions that a home designer can choose to add. These windows feature plastic between the layers of glass. This allows the glass to shatter but not splinter and fly. Shutter are another option for protecting windows. There are a variety of shutters available including swing styles, accordion styles and motorized shutters.

Roofs

There are a variety of roofs that you can choose from, although some material has more benefits than others. Shingle roofs are obviously the least expensive, but they come with possible pit falls. Choosing dark shingles means they will expand and contract in different weather. This will cause the shingles to become loose over time. While shingles won’t expand, but they are more susceptible to mold growth compared with darker shingles. Metal roofs are more expensive than shingles options, but they offer the durability needed to withstand strong winds.

Garage Doors

Garage doors are notorious for buckling and bending during high winds. This can pose an issue for objects or people who may be near, but also for your home. If the door buckles and breaks this allows high winds to enter into the home structure, and possibly water too. Vertical bracing systems for garage doors can help ensure that your garage door stays put even during hurricane force winds.

Don’t skimp on hurricane prep when it comes to your home. A little time and money spent now can save you a lot of trouble, stress and hassle later down the road. Your home should be built to last a lifetime, no matter how many storms come your way. With these tips you can help ensure that you home has a better chance of surviving strong storms, such as hurricanes, in the future.