Mother Nature is a beautiful, terrifying force. One minute you’re basking in the sun on a beautiful day and the next you’re running for your life from golf ball sized hail in a brutal storm. Unfortunately, you can’t stop the bad weather from coming, but you can prepare for it.
Being prepared for the wrath of Mother Nature means being prepared for anything she throws your way. Proper preparation for storms, floods, and electrical outages prevents future expenses and keeps serious accidents from happening.
In this article, we’ll give you a complete guide to weatherproofing your house and show you how to prepare for the worst Mother Nature has to offer.
Weatherproofing Your House
When most people think of weatherproofing their homes, they think of sealing it up from the outside. While that is part of weatherproofing, a lot of the weatherproofing process takes place indoors as well.
To start your weatherproofing process, make sure you have a ladder, flashlight, goggles, and gloves available. These tools will help you during your inspection process and let you get a closer look at the inside and outside your house.
1. Checking the Roof
The first step in weatherproofing is to make sure the roof is in good shape. The roof usually takes the brunt of the damage during storms, especially when it comes to hail storms or intense thunderstorms.
Make sure to inspect your roof from the outside first. Look for any holes, loose or rotting shingles, or worn or damaged roofing material. If you spot any holes or damage, make sure to remember where the damage is so you can inspect it from the inside.
Go to your attic or crawl space and inspect the inside of the roof using your flashlight. If you saw damage on the outside of the roof, make sure to inspect that same spot on the inside to make sure there is no water damage or other issues inside of the roof.
The final check is to look for any daylight coming through the roof. If you spot any daylight coming through cracks or gaps in the ceiling, they will need to be caulked or sealed to prevent water damage.
2. Clean Your Gutters
If you have gutters on the sides and roof of your home, make sure they are clear of debris. Clogged gutters will overflow, causing water to spill onto the roof and over the side of your house. This can rip the gutters off and cause substantial flooding and damage to your house.
Remove any leaves, debris, or sticks from the gutter, and make sure the drain pipe is not clogged. If it is, use a plumber’s snake to loosen the debris in the drainpipe, and then use a garden house or a bucket of water to wash the debris out of the pipe.
There are also products that prevent debris from entering your gutters and drainpipes, so if you’re having issues with clogged gutters, these can be a good investment.
3. Check Windows and Doors
Windows and doors are one of the most vulnerable places for water damage. Because houses shift and move over time, many doors and windows have small gaps and cracks along their sides that let water and cold air into the house.
The best way to check for gaps and cracks in your doors and windows is to wait for a sunny day. Go inside your home to your window and door, and look directly at the seams where the window or door meets the wall. If you can see any daylight at all through the seams, that is a potential place for water to get in.
Make sure to look for any cracks in the walls around the window and door. If you see cracks, that can be a sign that the house has shifted and you need to caulk the cracks to prevent water damage.
Make sure to examine the weatherstripping around the doors and windows as well. If it is worn or damaged, make sure to replace it so that water and wind can’t get in.
4. Protect from Above and Below
While most people worry about the wind and the rain during a storm, those aren’t the main threats in a storm. The main threats are flash flooding and debris thrown and broken by the wind.
Start by examining the trees directly next to or near your house. If you spot any dead or weak looking branches, you need to remove them so they don’t fall and hit your house during a storm.
Large trees that are dead or dying can also fall during an intense storm and damage your home. If you have a dead tree near your house, make sure to have it removed so it doesn’t fall on your home or other property.
You should also prepare for emergencies like flash floods and mudslides. One of the best ways to prepare for flash floods is to dig irrigation ditches in key places around your home. For example, if you live on a hill, digging a trench on the hill above your home to divert water away from will prevent major damage.
You can also purchase sandbags to have on hand in case of a storm. Placing sandbags around the perimeter of your home will divert the water away and prevent floating debris from hitting your house.
Make sure to pack a bug out bag in case you have to evacuate. These can be lifesavers and will give you all the things you need to survive an intense storm.
In the worst case scenarios, there isn’t much you can do to prevent a flood, so the next best step is to be prepared with flood insurance. It’s a great fall back plan for those who live in flood-prone areas and are concerned about the costs of flooding. You’ll find more information here about flood insurance if you’d like to learn about your flood insurance options.
Fortune Favors the Prepared
Weatherproofing your house might sound like a lot of work, but without it, you could be looking at some high costs and potential injuries. Make sure to research the weather patterns in your area so you can weatherproof your home in the right way.
If you have any more questions about how to prepare for disasters or improving your home, please visit our blog.
