If you live in an area that regularly gets heavy storms, then you need to spend a little bit of time making your property as secure as possible. With a few small upgrades and additions, you will be able to greatly reduce your risk of catastrophic storm damage.
When a window breaks during a storm, the air pressure inside the home is immediately going to plummet, and that could destroy the building from the inside out. That is just one of the many reasons why you might want to install hurricane shutters on all of your windows. Hurricane shutters are a simple addition that can usually be installed in a single day, and they will drastically improve your family’s safety and security.
Another practical upgrade that you might want to invest in is a sump pump for your basement or the lowest room in your home. A sump pump is nothing more than a small device that automatically pumps water out of the home when it begins to collect at a low point. After your sump pump is installed, you will need to clean and test it at least once every few months to ensure that it is unclogged and working properly.
Attaching your electronic devices to a few smaller surge protectors is a great start, but a whole-house power surge protection device could be a wise investment as well. These devices connect directly to your breaker box, and they will protect all of the electronic equipment throughout your home. As an added bonus, you should be able to install that type of surge protector with nothing more than a few basic tools.
During the storm season, you must make sure that your yards remain clutter-free. Anything that is out on your lawn could get picked up and turned into a dangerous projectile in high winds. You should also trim all of your trees so that there are no dead branches that could get snapped off. If you aren’t comfortable trimming your own trees, then you might want to hire an arborist once or twice a year.
In addition to these few tips, you should also make sure that you have excellent home insurance that covers storm damage. Many people are surprised to hear that most basic policies don’t include storm damage, and you will need to add a rider that specifically includes issues like missing roof shingles and water damage.
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