If you are worried about how your house will hold up in the event of a crisis, check out these tips for preparing your home for a natural disaster.
Install Wind Resistant Doors and Windows and Storm Shutters
If you live in an exposed area during hurricane season, you’ll want to find a way to boost the strength of your home’s entrances and exits. Wind-resistant doors and windows will help your home deal with the severe high wind speeds, but you’ll want storm shutters to deal with most of the damage. Storm shutters shield your sensitive glass with a protective layer of wood or metal, so hopefully, you don’t have any broken windows.
Turn Off Water, Gas, and Electrical Line
If you have to evacuate your home, make sure to turn off the water, gas, and electrical line before you leave. If there is damage to the home and these lines become exposed, they could create even more damage, especially if they’re left on.
Also, if you decide to hunker down during the event, you’ll want to monitor the home for any damage that will require you to shut off these utility lines during the storm. A burst water line could mean a flood, but a burst gas line could mean an explosion. You don’t want to take any chances.
Place Sandbags
If you live in an area prone to floods or hurricanes, you should make sandbags part of your disaster prep arsenal. Piling sandbags about a foot high at entryways or other areas where water could leak in will dramatically minimalize flood damage. If the flood is exceptionally severe, the sandbags might not protect the home from all the water, but they will provide enough coverage to ensure you don’t sustain irreparable damage.
Invest in a Back-Up Generator
You likely won’t evacuate your home in scenarios that involve tornados; instead, you’ll seek shelter at home. However, if a power line gets taken out, you could have power outages that last for weeks. That’s why many homeowners install backup generators in their homes. A correctly installed generator will sit idle and power up only when you need it most. Also, you can isolate the machine’s focus to only support the necessities, ensuring it stays on longer. This way, you don’t have to live without the luxury of electricity, even during a crisis.
By implementing these tips for preparing your home for a natural disaster, you’ll be doing just about everything you can to protect your home from potential damage.