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If you live in an area that traditionally suffers horrific storms, your home was probably built to a high standard in order to survive the worst. But what if you’re in an area that is only now feeling the brunt of climate change-driven storm intensity? There are some steps you can take to try and storm-proof your home, ranging from relatively cheap and easy fixes to more elaborate renovations that will be costly, but might ensure your home’s survival.
Cheap ways to storm-proof your home
First, there are some pretty obvious things you can do to make your home more storm-resistant:
Be prepared. Have a portable generator on hand along with the fuel required, or install a standby generator that kicks in automatically when the house loses power. Having power during the worst of a storm will enable you to do a lot of stuff that can save it, from running sump pumps to keeping devices charged to stay updated and in touch. Upgrade your windows. One of the best ways to protect your house is to install hurricane-resistant windows. These aren’t cheap, but they can withstand winds up to 200 mph, and won’t shatter if something smashes into them. A cheaper option is to install hurricane shutters that you can leave open during normal operations and close when a storm comes. Don’t bother with so-called “hurricane window film.” While it can reduce a mess if your window shatters, it won’t stand up to high winds or projectiles in any significant way. Pick up inflatable dams or sandbags. Flooding is one of the most obvious threats to your house during a storm. There are a lot of options here, from inflatable dams that can be used like sandbags to protect your home from encroaching water, to actual sandbags, so having those on hand can be very helpful. If you have land around your home, you might consider a large water-inflatable dam. As seen recently during storms in Texas, a properly installed and inflated dam like this might just spare your home from floods.More expensive storm-proofing projects
If you’re concerned about a powerful storm flattening your home and want to do whatever you can to protect it, there are some less-obvious things you can do:
Install storm-resistant siding. Most homeowners only think about the exterior of their home when it starts to fail with peeling paint or cracking stucco. But cladding your house in storm-resistant materials can harden it against natural disasters. Installing fiber cement siding is a good choice, as it’s wind-, impact-, and fire-resistant, but you can find wind-resistant vinyl siding, and materials like brick are also effective against storm and fire damage if installed properly. Create storm-resistant landscaping. Making your house as storm-resistant as possible includes being thoughtful about your outdoor spaces. Keeping outdoor areas free of debris and loose items (like furniture) that can become projectiles in a storm is a good start. You should also check the grade of your property—the finished floor of your home should be about six inches above grade, and the grade should drain water away from the structure. Additionally, keep trees and other plants away from the house, which prevents the growth from gradually raising the grade around the home. Reinforce your garage doors. A garage door is designed to be flexible and folding, which also means it’s a weak spot that can easily crumple in high winds or after debris impact. Having garage door braces on hand will help, but you can also consider installing a wind-load garage door that’s designed to resist wind damage. Install hurricane roof straps. It can be a challenge to reinforce an existing roof without replacing it entirely, especially in a finished home where the ceilings are sealed up. But retrofitting your roof with hurricane straps can make a huge difference in how well you weather a powerful storm. Hurricane straps essentially tie your roof to the foundation of your home, making it much less likely to be torn off by high winds. It can be a complex job, but if you’re worried about your roof it might be worth it.
