How To Hurricane-Proof Your Home

Hurricanes are some of the most terrifying forces of nature. A single hurricane can leave thousands of people dead and billions of dollars' worth of destruction. Therefore, for those who live in areas where the threat of hurricanes is even a possibility, it makes a lot of sense to ensure your home is hurricane-proof.

When it comes to hurricane-proofing homes, it's important to think of the whole building as one system. If one area is breached, the whole system could easily fail. How can you ensure your house is ready in case of a hurricane?

Protect Your Doors and Windows

Doors and windows are the obvious weak points of any building. Unlike walls, which are designed to be rigid and stationary, doors and windows are designed to be opened and are usually made using lighter material. In addition to this, depending on how much glass is incorporated into the design, even a closed window or door may not be as secure as needed.

The first thing you should do is to ensure you install impact-resistant windows. These laminated sheets of glass will prevent dangerous glass shards from flying into your house in case the window is struck by debris. You should also install hurricane shutters to provide an extra layer for protection for the glass.

Install a Stronger Garage Door

In many houses, the garage door is actually the weak point, and many homeowners don't know this. When faced with hurricane-force winds, a typical garage door will be blown in. This leaves a path for the wind to blow into your house, and the pressure increase can easily tear your roof off. Install a garage door that is capable of surviving such winds.

Drainage

Your drainage efforts shouldn't only focus on keeping water outside your house. It's important to remember that at the end of the day, all that water will have to go somewhere. Ensure that whether it's on your roof or on the ground, there should be nothing impeding the flow of water away.

Build an Elevated House

If you're only just constructing your house, you should also ensure that it's raised some distance above the ground. Building on concrete pilings will help to keep your home above water in case the water level rises. Many homeowners have made it through hurricanes with their homes intact just because they made the smart decision to have the buildings raised away from the ground.