Eric Babin, President, Babin Custom Builders
Do you reside in a hurricane zone? Cyclone, tornadoes, hurricane and other storms can destroy or cause serious damage to your home. You can now design your home to withstand hurricane and minimize the damages. Strong winds and storms have devastating effects to buildings and the environment especially at the coastal areas and the hurricane zones. Wind causes negative pressures thus creating a lifting force which tear off the roofing of the building. This weakens the building causing it to collapse. There are several methods used to help the building survive a strong wind, flood, storm and hurricane among others. Below are some of the tips to hurricane proof home against any possible storm.
How you can Hurricane-proof your home
a.) Secure your doors and windows
Protecting windows and doors against flying debris and high winds is imperative. Hurricane hurls objects that normally act like bullets. It is advisable to provide a protective system such as a track or install shutters incase of a storm. Tracks and other fastening hardware can be used as permanent fixture on the outer side of your home. Ensure that you have integrated the hardware with other exterior protection you plan to install.
b.) Ensure you keep your power on
When a storm strikes you hope that your home will weather storm, but the power grid might not. It is important to have a small generator that will ensure a supply of power to only the essential services. This will help you withstand the storm after a devastating effect. Running generator can be noisy and therefore you need to know where to place it according to the rules.
c.) Allow water to flow
Ensure to keep your downspout and gutters clean and also check that nothing block the flow of water during a storm or flooding. Water must go down and away, otherwise it will be held in the roof and attic. It is important to conduct a visual inspection to make sure nothing blocks smooth flow of water from the roof and away from the house.
d.) Roof Reinforcement
Hurricane winds are very powerful and can pull buildings apart. Roof structures risk being blown off thus endangering everyone and the surrounding properties. It is advisable to use code mandated roof-fastening system. Some of the methods used to reinforce the roof include lateral anchors, tie-downs, hold down and embedded connectors among others. The choice of these fasteners depends on type of construction and location.
e.) Securing garage door
A garage door is one of the weak spot for hurricane winds. If this door gives away, the wind will get into the house and blow off the roof. To prevent this from happening, make sure you install a garage door that can withstand these forces. You can also brace an existing garage door to stop it from giving away.
f.) Prune all the tree around your home
It is important to keep your home free of debris by pruning the trees and getting rid of dead branches before hurricane attacks. Make sure you remove your patio furniture and other necessary items from outside. This can hurricane proof home against flying debris due to high winds, storms and hurricane force winds.
