The natural elements can cause severe damage. In the United States alone, over 1,000 tornadoes are reported each year. Roof tiles, windows, and utilities are at risk if you do not protect your home against adverse weather. The effects of storms are devastating. It can cause loss of life and irreparable damage, leaving you homeless in severe cases.
Rain Resistance
For the most part, you will experience rainfall. Heavy rainfall can be a joy to watch from the comfort of a warm home. However, rain can cause a multitude of problems if left unchecked. First, you could be exposed to leaks if your guttering and drainage aren’t well-maintained. Additionally, the integrity of timber can be compromised, and roofing tiles might allow water through. Fortunately, you can protect against rain with waterproofing supplies and materials like waterproof rubber sheets. Sheets are excellent for covering decking and preventing leaks.
Wind Protection
Various types of wind weather cause damage all year round. Spring and summer provide perfect conditions for the formation of tornadoes, while damaging autumn storms and hurricanes occur each year. While you cannot do much to stop winds, you can secure your home against much of the damage that can occur:
Advertisement - Story continues below
Request advertising info. View All.
- Secure loose items
- Seal gaps into your home
- Keep window and door frames well-maintained
- Check siding is secure
- Trim tree branches near windows and doors
- Store potential projectiles
- Regularly inspect roofing shingles
Keeping your home’s exterior maintained is a significant first step. Next, you can inspect guttering, siding, and doors and windows yourself. First, however, you should hire a professional to inspect and secure your roofing.
Neutralize Lightning
Thunderstorms are one of nature’s greatest spectacles, and like rainstorms, they can be exciting from relative safety and comfort, or scary in equal measure. However, a lightning strike holds the force equivalent to being struck by a truck at over 80 miles per hour. Therefore, the dangerous lightning consequence of a thunderstorm poses many risks to your safety. While it’s unlikely your home will be struck, a near strike can cause electrical damage. Therefore, you must unplug and switch off non-essential electrical items. Further, surge protection sockets will help things that cannot be turned off.
Hailstone Defense
Hailstones are hazardous since they can reach sizes greater than the diameter of a golf ball, striking a surface at terminal velocity. Basically, hailstones of such a size are likely to destroy anything they hit. Obviously, the potential for significant damage to your home or car is real. However, should you reside in a hailstone-prone area, you can protect against them by installing shutters over your windows and doors. There are multiple options, such as permanent roll-down devices and a removable temporary protection shutter.
Wildfire Dampening
A concerning weather effect of recent times is wildfires. While some areas, such as California, are more susceptible to wildfires, they can occur almost anywhere under the right conditions. And the effects of wildfires are devastating to both the environment and your home. However, you can reduce the impact of a wildfire with some simple planning. When a wildfire happens, fire propagates through the underbrush. Therefore, you must remove dead vegetation, branches, and twigs from your surrounding land and gutters. Wood should also be kept away from your home, and you should also consider installing metal roofing protection.
Photo by Comfreak