As we are all well aware, being located between the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean makes Florida highly susceptible to hurricanes. In fact, 40% of all hurricanes that hit the east coast will hit Florida. This makes protecting your home against hurricanes and other severe storms incredibly important.
At FP Property Restoration, our team is committed to helping you and your family stay safe and protected. As a full-service restoration company with extensive experience, we wanted to do our part in making this hurricane season a little easier on you. Continue reading to see some of our most helpful hurricane-proofing tips.
Areas to Focus On
When hurricane proofing your home, there are several key areas that you will want to focus your efforts. The main parts of your home that are susceptible to hurricane damage are your windows, doors, roof, garage, and landscape.
Windows
The last thing you want to deal with is shattered windows throughout your entire home. To protect your home from extremely powerful winds, heavy rainfall, and flying objects, you need to install impact windows. Impact-resistant glass is incredibly durable and can prevent a major amount of damage to your home. This type of window may be expensive, but it can provide you with peace of mind knowing all of your windows won’t shatter and expose your entire home to a hurricane.
Hurricane shutters are also a great way to reinforce the strength of your windows during a severe storm. They add an additional layer of protection against debris and objects that are being stirred up by strong winds.
Doors
If your door is blown open during a hurricane, wind, water, and debris can rush into your home, causing a serious amount of destruction. To best avoid this damage, we recommend installing fiberglass doors. Experts have determined that fiberglass is the most hurricane-resistant material for doors after conducting impact testing against wind, debris, and rain. This means that fiberglass doors are far more effective in protecting your home than wood doors.
Garage
Because your garage is the largest point of entry to your home, you want to be sure it is strong enough to withstand a hurricane. A weak garage door can make it incredibly easy for wind to get inside, creating enough pressure within your house to blow the roof off. In fact, the majority of hurricane damage is actually caused by wind entry through garage doors. In order to avoid this, you need to install an impact-rated garage. These heavy-duty, hurricane-resistant garages are designed to stand strong against extremely powerful winds.
Roof
Having a strong, secure roof is crucial during hurricane season. In our years of service, we have seen many roofs be completely blown off of homes as a storm passes through, causing a massive amount of damage. Your roof is your home’s first line of defense during a storm, so you want to make sure that it is as sturdy as possible.
If your existing roof is not stable, it might be time to install a metal roof. Metal is the most hurricane-resistant material, making it the perfect option for your roof. Metal roofs can resist winds that reach up to 140 miles per hour and can last for up to 50 years. While installing your metal roof, you might also consider installing a secondary water barrier, which is placed right below your roof tiles. These two layers of protection are sure to keep your home safe from strong winds and heavy rainfall.
To further reinforce the strength of the connection between your roof and your house, you should add steel hurricane clips.
Landscape
Before a storm hits, you want to be sure that you remove any loose items from your landscape to prevent them from being blown around.
Some of the most important things to clear away include:
- Fallen tree branches
- Gardening tools
- Outdoor décor
- Patio furniture
- Potted plants
- Bicycles
In addition to clearing these items off your landscape, you’ll want to be sure to repair any loose fencing, deck boards, and mailboxes to prevent them from breaking free and being blown around. The last thing you want is for any of these objects to get picked up by the wind and blown through your windows.
When You Need Us, We’ll Be There
If you experience any damage to your home this hurricane season, reach out to the highly trained and fully qualified storm damage experts at FP Property Restoration. We are on call and ready to provide the service you need when you need it most. Your safety and well-being are our top priorities, so if your home has experienced damage, call us right away and we will be there in 30 minutes or less. During your darkest moments, you can rest easy knowing you have a fully licensed, 24-hour emergency repair and restoration company on your side ready to pick up the pieces.
If you have any further questions about how you can protect your home from severe storms, please call us at (888) 408-2335.