Preparing Your Home For Wind Damage Before The Storm

By Author: Mrs. Shannon Egan
Total Articles: 76
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When a hurricane, tornado, or vicious storm strikes there is barely enough warning to find appropriate shelter, let alone find time to protect your home and property from inevitable wind damage. That’s why you need to prepare your home before the storm hits.

In order to do this you will need to consider the characteristics of your home, your financial resources and the building codes in your community. Here’s a homeowner’s check list from the Federal Emergency Management Agency:

How to Avoid Wind Damage

Know your risks. Do you know the hazards in your community? How often do floods or wind storms occur? Contact your emergency management office or American Red Cross chapter for more information.

Ensure that your roof sheathing is properly installed. The roof sheathing is the boards or plywood nailed to your roof rafters or trusses. During a heavy windstorm, wind forces flow from the roof down to the exterior walls and then the foundation. Homes are damaged when wind is not properly transferred to the ground in a storm. Properly installed sheathing helps to ensure wind is transferred correctly. ...
... Make sure the sheathing nails have not missed the rafters. If they have you will need to redo them.

Make sure end gables are secured to the roof. ‘In a hurricane or other wind storm, the side walls of the roof (end gables) take a real beating and can collapse. Gable bracing often consists of 2”x4”s placed in an “X” pattern at both ends of the attic: from the top center of the end gable to the bottom of the brace of the fourth truss, and from the bottom center of the end gable to the peak of the roof,’ Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Fasten your roof to the walls with galvanized hurricane straps. Galvanized hurricane straps help keep the roof secured to the walls in a powerful storm. Make sure you have these in place if you live in a high risk hurricane area.

Check that your garage door is properly secured. In a windstorm the garage door can be easily ripped off allowing wind to enter your home and blow out doors, windows, walls and even the roof. Call a reputable garage door company for assistance.

Protect your windows with storm shutters. Installing storm shutters is one of the best ways you can protect your home from high winds. You can purchase these in wood, aluminum or steel.

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