For homeowners that live in Fort Lauderdale, we all know that we shouldn’t wait until we get a hurricane warning by the local news station to start preparing for hurricane season. The unfortunate reality though is that a lot of homeowners do just that, they wait for the last minute, however there are several things that homeowners can do to prepare their homes and their family to make sure they are protected in the event of a hurricane.
When it comes to protecting your home from a hurricane, then the first things to protect are the entry points where rain and wind could enter your house. So make a list of all of the entry points of your house such as the garage, doors and windows, you should also consider entry points such as the hole for the cable connection, pipes and vents. You will want to make sure that these holes are filled with caulked and sealed properly.
Now there are other ways that a hurricane can enter your house, such as by lifting your roof shingles, which would leave your roof vulnerable to the rain that could find its way into your attic and the insulation. So you should check all your roof shingles to make sure none of them are loose and that they are securely attached and you can do this by using some type of roof cement.
For the most part, when it comes to tropical storm preparedness, most of your attention will be on securing your windows and doors. Experts will recommend that you get hurricane shutters to protect your sliding glass doors and windows. While shutters can be expensive, homeowners that are on a budget will install plywood instead. If you do decide to use plywood, make sure that you get one that is at least a ¾ of an inch thick and make sure that you drill the holes for the screws at least 18 inches apart around the entire plywood so that the board stays in place.
Don’t procrastinate and wait for a storm warning before you start to prepare, you should start getting prepared before hurricane season starts. There are many advantages to this among avoiding the crazy lines at the local home depot or Lowe’s stores in your neighborhood when a hurricane warning is issued for South Florida. And doing it in advance will guarantee that you have the right hardware necessary to hang your shutters securely, as well as you can get enough and at the right measurements to make sure all your windows and doors are secured properly.
If you have lived in Fort Lauderdale for numerous years and are still using plywood or even hurricane shutters to protect your home, then I am sure you get tired of having to install and remove them each year, if this is the case, you should definitely consider hurricane impact windows instead, as all you have to do is install them once and that’s it, your home will be protected all year round, without any additional work on your part. Hurricane impact windows are a great investment for several reasons, but hurricane protection is definitely at the top of the list.
If you have double doors, then you need to be aware that these can swing inward during a hurricane, so you should use one inch deadbolts and heavy duty barrel bolt anchors at the bottom and top of each door to secure your doors. And it might not be a bad idea to replace any door that opens inwards; it’s always a good idea to have your doors open outward both for hurricane protection and theft protection.
Now don’t forget your garage door either or any entryway that is covered with louvers. In the garage doors you should get some additional steel struts that are rated for impact installed and don’t forget to cover your vents as well with shutters or plywood. It is important that you protect all the openings of your home, because if water gets in, it could flood your home and if the wind gets in, it could blow your roof off. And of course, do not forget the outside of your home, remove any dead limbs from trees, secure potted plants, trash cans, patio furniture and bicycles or anything that could become a projectile and injure someone or break a window. If you take time to plan, you will stress a whole lot less during a hurricane.