It seems we’re out of the woods with Hurricane Karl, but is your home prepared for the remainder of hurricane season, which runs through November? According to AccuWeather, the 2010 hurricane season could be a Top 10 year for storms.
Here are a few tips on how you can protect your home from ravaging hurricanes and the damage they can cause.
- Give special attention to your garage door. Lots of people envision their roof being torn off during a hurricane and give the special attention to it. However, the actual vulnerable spot is the garage door. Why? Because they aren’t reinforced, and once the hurricane winds get inside the garage, they create a “positive” push at the same time that the wind above your house creates a “negative” pull. This push and pull is what will cause the roof to blow off. Fortunately there are kits and tools that can be easily purchased to brace your garage door.
- Check your trees. Making sure that “dead” branches are trimmed so they aren’t threats to your house. Trees are one of the biggest causes of home insurance claims, either because broken branches land on your (or your neighbor’s) home or because they break off and blow into glass windows during a storm.
- Keep inventory of your possessions updated. If you’re unfortunate enough to suffer hurricane damage to your home, you don’t want to go through the headache of trying to remember all the things you owned that may have gotten damaged. Keeping an updated list, video, or photos of what you own will make the process of going through the insurance claim – and thereby getting back to normal – much easier and faster. Just remember to keep the list, video, or photos of your possessions somewhere besides your house.
- Make sure your roof is in check. Hurricane straps are good for making sure your roof is bolted down to the rest of your house. Also be sure to inspect the tiles on your roof or shingles to ensure that they’re “strong” and will not be flying off during a storm and crashing into glass windows. (Roofing cement will fix loose tiles.) You should also make sure that any areas where wires enter your home are sealed, stopping the chance of water damage.
- Batten down the doors and windows. Of course, if a window gets broken during a storm, your home will suffer wind and rain damage immediately. However this can also increase pressure under the roof, causing potential for the roof to blow off. While storm shutters are the most effective form of protecting your windows, boarding them up will help as well. (Hint: masking tape does nothing.) Doors should have multiple locking tools to keep them from flying open. Dead bolts work the most effectively. Remember that all windows and doors need to be secured – not just the ones that are facing the wind.
- Make sure your insurance is updated and accurate. It’s vital that you have the right amount of home insurance and that any “gaps” in coverage are taken care of.
For more information on home insurance, contact us at Dagley Insurance today! We offer free quotes and will customize your home policy to fit your budget and lifestyle.
Stay tuned at facebook.com/dagelyinsurance for further news on Hurricane Karl.