When you prepare your home for a storm, you likely immediately make sure cars are in the garage and the gutters are cleaned out. While those are necessary steps, there are other areas that you should also be considering. Here are some ways you can better protect your home in a storm.
Windows
In even a small storm, windows can easily be dinged or broken. Winds can pick up downed parts of trees or even tiny rocks and debris and hurtle them toward your home. It doesn’t make financial sense to constantly repair or replace the windows, so you should consider getting shutters instead.
One popular type of shutters to consider is paneled shutters. They are panels of wood that flank the sides of the window and then fold on hinges to come together and cover the window, where they are then secured together so they won’t open in the storm. These are most often made from wood but can also be made from vinyl.
Another type of shutter you might want to consider is accordion shutters. Accordion shutters for windows are shutters on a solid track that fold up on both sides of the window when not in use but can easily be pulled together and latched when preparing for a storm. Accordion shutters are most often made from high-quality aluminum and stainless steel.
Doors
The doors to your home are often one of the last things thought of when preparing for a storm. However, they should be one of the highest things on your list of priorities. If your door were to fail during a storm, you could find your home gets destroyed, and your family wouldn’t be protected.
Instead of choosing regular steel or solid core door for your front door, choose an impact-rated door. The doors are specifically designed to stand up to hurricane-strength winds and withstand the impact of flying debris.
