From floods to falling trees, ensuring that your home is protected during a storm should be at the top of your list as a homeowner. Each year homeowners spend thousands of dollars on repairs that could have been avoided if their homes were protected properly. The number one reason why repairs can be so costly is that homeowners are often not prepared well enough. There’s a famous quote by Benjamin Franklin stating, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail”: when it comes to storm preparation, nothing could closer to the truth. Here are some tips on how to make sure that you will be prepared this upcoming storm season for whatever may come your way!
Yard Clean-Up
One of the biggest problems most homeowners do not understand is that during a storm ANY outdoor item can become a danger to your home. With the threat of high winds lawn items can easily be picked up and flung across a yard. By making sure that items are put away into storage units and larger items are tied down there will be less risk of potential damage. Aside from putting those loose outdoor items away, trees in your yard should be carefully trimmed so that they don’t pose any threats. Loose tree branches can fall onto powerlines or even on top of your home making a large mess. Trees even pose the threat of smashing windows or causing roofs to collapse, so keeping up with their maintenance is very important. Even after limbs have been cut, they need to be removed from your yard so that high winds aren’t able to pick them up and toss them around the yard or into your home.
Fortify Your Home
Fortifying your home to combat a storm is the best way to cut down on future repair costs, here are some ideas and tips you could use to protect your home.
- Protect Your Windows
Windows are some of the least secure parts of a home during any storm. Glass can easily shatter when struck with strong wind and heavy debris. The best method of fortifying windows is to install storm shutters. These special shutters go over your windows and add a plastic or metal layer of protection to make sure they won’t shatter and allow anything inside your home.
- Flood Protection
Flooding causes some of the largest amounts of damages to homes during storms. To protect against future flooding be sure to inspect your home frequently for any present leaks or cracks in the foundation. Also investing in a sump pump can be an excellent line of defense when dealing with floods. A sump pump will help pump the water out of your home before water levels get too high and cause damages. To learn more about how you can protect your home during flood season click this link.
- Purchase a Generator
Generators are the only way to make sure that your electronics will continue to work even if the power goes out. By hooking up essential items such as a refrigerator and freezer even with a power outage all of your food will remain fresh and edible. A generator will also make it possible to charge your phone or any batteries to ensure that emergency contacts can be reached and some lights will remain on.
Taking the right precautionary steps can protect your home and possessions from impending storm damage. It is important to take the time and prepare your home this storm season to effectively protect your belongings. If you are interested in learning more about or purchasing Homeowner’s Insurance or Flood Insurance, just contact us and the experts at TJ Woods Insurance will be more than willing to help!
