Given that severe storms have been impacting Florida residents in recent months and likely will continue through the winter, it is important to think about ways of protecting your home from wind storm damage. Certainly, the threat of wind damage from hurricanes is well-known to most residents of South and Central Florida. But if you own a home, you might not be thinking about bolstering your property in the hurricane off-season. According to a pamphlet from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), “the force of . . . wind alone can cause weak places in your home to fail.” In other words, it is a good idea to take steps to bolster your property in the event of an unexpected severe storm with high winds.
Protections Against Wind Storm Damage Are Not Guarantees
Before you begin making preparations to secure your home in the event of wind storm damage, it is important to remember that any investments you make are not guarantees that your home will be free of severe property damage after a storm subsides. Indeed, as FEMA notes, certain projects, if they are completed properly, “can make your home safer,” but “they are no guarantee that your home won’t be damaged or even destroyed.”
And you should keep in mind that many structures do not look exactly alike, and experts may have varying ideas about the best way to protect your home. Yet the important information to remember is that you can take steps to protect your property. What can you do? FEMA identifies two key parts of your home that may be in need of help: the roof, and the exterior doors and windows.
Protecting Your Roof from the Wind
During a severe storm, winds push on the exterior of your house. The force from that wind “is passed along from your roof to the exterior walls and finally to the foundation,” according to the FEMA pamphlet. In other words, the force from the wind needs to be transferred to the ground properly so that the foundation of your home is not impacted. Given that the wind’s force usually is transferred to your house from the roof, you can help to protect your home by better securing your roof.
To begin, you will need to figure out what kind of roof you have. Houses with gabled roofs are, in general, more susceptible to wind damage. If you have a gabled roof, “installing additional truss bracing makes your roof’s truss system much stronger.” A professional can explain your options when it comes to truss bracing, gable end bracing, and hurricane straps.
Securing Exterior Doors and Windows
Your exterior doors and windows help to prevent damaging winds from entering your home. Thus, it is important to do all that you can to keep those strong winds outside. While preparing your home for wind damage can be very costly, some of these fixes can be done relatively easily:
· Install bolt systems for double-entry doors (about $10 to $40);
· Buy a retrofit kit for your double-wide garage doors (about $70 to $150);
· Purchase reinforced garage doors (anywhere from $400 to $450); and
· Install storm shutters.
If your home recently sustained wind storm damage, you should learn more about filing a claim for compensation. An experienced Central Florida wind storm damage lawyer can speak with you today. Contact the Valrico Law Group to discuss your situation.