6 Must-Do Home Adjustments to Stand up to Extreme Summer Weather
Our Mother Earth can be hard onto your home, especially during the warm weather. Thunderstorms, tornadoes and also cyclones could result in extensive damage to houses and whole communities. Some preparation, though, can aid homeowners shield their houses against severe-weather damage.
“It pays to prepare your house to manage the worst of what Our Mother Earth dishes out in any season,” says Ed Del Grande, a home improvement specialist, author, TV host as well as spokesperson for Kohler. “Damage due to storms can create costly maintenance, or even force you to leave your property altogether.”
Right here are six home adjustments you may embark on to help guard your home from summer storm damage:
- Repair or replace home windows.
Look at the condition of your house’s windows as well the weather stripping around them. Re-caulk windows where removing is worn, and change any windows that are damaged. If you live in a place prone to thunder storms and also winds, such as those from hurricanes and tornadoes, give some thought to buying some plywood or permanent storm shutters you can keep on hand covering windows whenever a storm approaches.
- Cut shrubs and trees, and take good care of landscaping.
Maintain your yard free from debris as well as such things as children’s playthings and gardening tools. At the time of storms with high winds, debris and items on the lawn can become projectiles that damage siding and also home windows. Check trees and shrubs to make sure they are healthy. Remove diseased trees, which are more likely to come down in a storm, and keep shrubs and trees trimmed to minimize the chance of branches damaging your property.
- Set up a standby generator.
Power black outs are a typical outcome of severe weather conditions, and losing power can cause further destruction to your home. Automated standby generators, such as those from
Kohler, turn on within seconds of a utility power outage, operate on propane or natural gas and are connected to the house, similar to an outdoor ac unit. Automatic standby generators hold critical
home appliances running in the event the electric power goes out, ensuring that you won’t go without refrigerators, sump pumps, and critical home systems such as air conditioning. If you are interested in learning more about standby power options, visit
www.KohlerGenerators.com for informational video tutorials, sizing calculators and also other helpful information.
- Set up a sump pump.
Summer storms frequently bring flooding to many parts of the country. In case your home has a basement, buying a sump pump – which removes water when it accumulates in a basin – can assist prevent the costly damage caused by flooding. Heavy rains can quickly fill a downstairs room with water, damaging anything stored there, as well as essential systems just like furnaces or water heaters. A sump pump by having an automatic sensor will turn on as soon as it detects water, guarding your downstairs room even if you’re not home once the flooding occurs.
- Pay attention to gutters.
Clogged
rain gutters can lead to flooding in the downstairs room and leaks in the roof during storms with heavy rain. Just before storm season comes, look at the rain gutters and clear them of debris. Repair or substitute any ruined parts of the overall system. Gutters provide essential defense for the home, so if yours have seen better days, give some thought to replacing them altogether.
- Install roof clips/hurricane straps.
If you reside in an area prone to hurricanes, roof clips or hurricane straps may help ensure the roof remains on your property in high winds. Check building codes in your area, as some states require new construction to be built with these protections. In case your home does not have them, a professional can easily retrofit your roof with clips and straps to help prevent the roof from blowing off. Losing the roof isn’t only a massively costly repair; it means you’ve also lost the part of your home that does the most to protect everything and everyone inside it.
“You can’t control the climate, but you can actually prepare for it,” Del Grande says. “And you can protect your house and family from bad weather’s worst effects. It is important to be proactive, before storm season really gets going.”
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