Your home is no doubt a source of pride, so protecting it from getting damaged by a storm is going to be at the top of your homeowner to do list. Luckily preventing wind damage isn’t an expensive or difficult task, so you’ll have no trouble staying on top of this chore.
How to prevent wind damage to your home
The best way to deal with wind damage to your home is to take steps to prevent it from occurring in the first place. If you wait until after damage has occurred, you are likely looking at a pretty significant repair bill compared to the cost of taking some preventative steps.
Stay on top of maintenance
Broken things around the exterior of your home like loose fence boards or roof shingles can easily become projectiles when the winds become violent. In order to prevent them from damaging the outside of your home in the event of a windstorm, make a point of regularly checking out the exterior of your home for areas that may need repairs or maintenance.
Keep up with landscaping
Keep your trees and shrubs trimmed and look out for dead trees to ensure that no loose branches will get blown around in a wind storm. In the event of a windstorm dead or nearly dead trees can easily fall over in the wrong direction, leaving your home at risk. When trimming be on the lookout for power lines and property lines, as both can get you into trouble if you’re not careful.
Identify weak points in your home
There are 4 main weak points in your home: windows, doors, the garage and the roof. If any one of these are showing any kind of damage or weak spots your home is at significant risk of getting damaged in a wind storm. Make a point of inspecting your home regularly for any signs that repairs are needed. Things like loose shingles, detached gutters, weakened weather stripping and old glass panes can all be signs of impending damage.
Beware of loose shingles
One of the first things that will get damaged in a windstorm are the shingles on your roof. If any are loose, they are bound to get pulled up if the wind hits at the right angle. Because shingles are laid in sheets, if one gets ripped up, more are sure to follow. Nail down any loose shingles before they become a more significant problem down the road. Getting up on the roof is often a job that calls for professional assistance thanks to how dangerous it can be, so don’t be shy to call a professional if you need help.
Secure your siding
Your shingles aren’t the only part of your home that could rip off during a windstorm. Whether your home has metal siding or vinyl, if there are any sections that aren’t secured properly it’s possible for wind to get up underneath it and rip it off. You should periodically inspect your home’s exterior for any signs that your siding may be lifting or separating.
Remove projectiles
Your home isn’t just susceptible to pieces breaking off in the wind, damage can also occur if something gets thrown into your home by the wind. The best way to protect against this is to store or secure anything that could get picked up by the wind like patio furniture, grills and lawn ornaments.
After the wind storm
In the event that your home is hit by a windstorm and there is some amount of damage, it is important to repair the damage quickly. Although damage may appear minimal, there could be more damage hiding under the surface that you can’t see. If there is another storm to follow you want to ensure that the existing damage isn’t going to be made worse.
