Preventing Storm Damage | 6 Ways to Protect Your Home in an Extreme Storm

September 23, 2017

Let’s take a peek at several options for preventing storm damage to you and your home. With the recent back to back mega storms, it seems fitting to carry on with our series of articles on how to protect your property in the event of a super storm.

6 Tips for Preventing Storm Damage

When a hurricane or tornado strikes your town, the damage can be devastating. In the case of a direct hit from a Cat 5 Hurricane or an EF-5 Tornado there is little that can be done to stop the wrath of mother nature. But we do have a few tips for preventing storm damage from storms with a lower intensity.

Garage Door Braces

Many homeowners don’t realize that in the event of a hurricane, their garage doors are more than likely the weakest entry point. Additionally, they are probably unaware that a breach through the garage door is one of the main factors contributing to major structural damage to homes during a hurricane. Once the strong winds force the garage door open, the powerful winds blow off the roof resulting in extensive damage or complete loss of the home and its contents. Parking your car against the door won’t prevent this from occurring. The best solution is to install garage door braces before the storm hits. Checkout the Secure Door site for more info.

Preventing Storm Damage with Garage Door Braces

Storm Resistant Doors

Just like the garage door issue above, entry door failure can lead to similar results and extensive damage. Water intrusion through an open door can be the greatest threat. Here are a few steps you can take to shore up your existing doors. You should have at least 3 hinges on all exterior doors, four is even better. You can replace the short hinge screws with 3” long screws that reach the 2×4 wall framing. Dead bolts should be 1” long and the strike plate should also be fastened with 3” long screws. You can also replace your standard doors with Tornado Resistant Doors like the ones in this video:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu7xnhGvPnY?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Window Shutters

If your home is equipped with functional shutters be sure to secure them in the closed position prior to the arrival of the storm. If your shutters are the decorative type only; take the time to protect your windows with plywood shutters. Follow the step-by-step instructions in our previous article “Protect Your Windows from Flying Debris During a Storm”.

Plywood Hurricane Shutters

Cable-Tite TieDown System

Whether your home is of traditional site built construction or a modular design, you can add substantial strength to your roof system by installing the Cable-Tite Home Tie-Down System. The system utilizes industrial strength cables to anchor the roof of your home to your foundation. This video demonstrates how it works.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVnenLyCgMY?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

Hurricane Clips

Building codes in hurricane prone areas of the county, have recently been updated to require the use of hurricane clips in all new construction. If you are planning to build a new home in Tornado Alley or along the coast, hurricane clips are a must for preventing storm damage.

Preventing Storm Damage with Hurricane Clips

Storm Rooms

For the ultimate protection for you and your family you can install a Storm Room in your home. Taking advantage of Dupont’s multi-layer, Kevlar wall construction these Storm Rooms can withstand the rigors of either a Cat 5 Hurricane or an EF-5 Tornado.

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-itIfDaSLg?rel=0&w=560&h=315]

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Need help deciding the best action for preventing storm damage to your home and windows? Contact our support team at (815)-634-8922.
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