High wind storms have passed through Colorado in the past days and has reminded us about the importance of being protected and keeping our homes safe from the damage it might cause.
Roofs can be very vulnerable to these kind of storms, and can literally blow off if you haven’t taken the steps to keep the wind over it, instead of going under it.
The devastated homeowner tells me they just bought this house 6 months ago. Now she can look up and see the sky from her living room @KOAA pic.twitter.com/B0XJFpYxYA
— Lena Howland (@LenaHowland) January 9, 2017
Limit the amount of storm damage to your home by taking theses steps:
1. Garage Door Reinforcement
Garage doors can be some of the biggest vulnerabilities in American homes if not properly reinforced. If high winds blow it off, it can potentially cause structural damage to the entire home. Consider having a garage door professional check the door and decide if it can hold off strong winds.
2. Protect doors and windows
In continued extreme cases of high wind gusts, aluminum or steel storm shutters are the best way of preventing flying objects from breaking glass. Storm shutters can cost around $600-$720 for a 3×4’ windows. If these are out of reach, you can use thick plywood and boards to help protect your windows and doors, keeping those high wind gusts from blowing into your home.
3. Secure shingles
Shingle roofs are very vulnerable to high winds,. When one shingle roof is lifted off your roof, it creates a “domino-effect”, making more shingles easier to blow off. This kind of damage will make your home vulnerable to water damage from rain.
Each shingle should be held down by at least six staples or nails. You should also install a waterproof underlayment beneath the shingles for protection against the rain, in case the wind blows the shingles off your roof.
If you are able to, you should replace the shingles with a Metal Roof which will be securely installed and will be much more worry (and maintenance) free than that old shingle roof.
4. Control or remove trees too close to your home
We love trees in our yard, but you have to be sure they won’t fall on your roof in case of a storm. A tree should be farther away from the home, than the height of the tree when fully grown. You should also prune branches that are over your roof.
There might be alternatives to cutting a tree completely down to prevent it from damaging your home. You can trim the tree’s trunk at the top to keep it from growing upwards and grow towards the sides.
5. Anchor Projectiles
Sheds and outbuildings should be anchored with a permanent foundations or straps with ground anchors. Small objects like grills and outdoor furniture can be bolted to the decks or patios (there also are other creative ways you can secure outdoor furniture). In any case, you can also bring small objects inside if you’ve been warned about a storm coming.
Source: FEMA
