How to Avoid Storm Damage

8/18/2021 (Permalink)

This wind is no joke - and the size of the insurance claim won't be, either.

Year-to-year, the seriousness and recurrence of storms is anyone's guess, and it's unavoidable that home owners have to bear the brunt of the damage when storms roll through. It's costly, sometimes it's devastating, and when the damage is so severe that your family might not be able to deal with it, we're only a phone call away.

But in those other instances -- when the damage is limited to a broken gutter, a missing shingle, or a small downed limb -- we advise home owners to take precaution while making repairs. In an effort to make sure it doesn't happen to you, SERVPRO of Kaufman County & Cedar Creek has compiled this list, to help you avoid storm damage to your home, business or property.

The most common property damage we see is rooftop and siding damage following strong winds and hail. In lieu of that:

BASIC UPKEEP GOES A LONG WAY

1. REPLACE MISSING OR BROKEN SHINGLES

On the off chance that a shingle is damaged, it's bound to break free. Assuming it's missing, you now have a hole for wind to get under and do considerably more harm.

Note that when you're introducing or supplanting shingles, they should be nailed appropriately — NOT over the nail line.

As far as how roofing materials – shingles versus metal – hold up to hail, it doesn't actually matter. After a hailstorm, we've observed that shingle rooftops hold up as well as metal ones.

2. KEEP YOUR GUTTERS CLEAR

Ensure your gutters are clean so that water is free-flowing and moves away from the home, preventing pooling and bursting.

3. FIX LOOSE SIDING

Similar standards as material apply to siding: guarantee your siding isn't harmed.

4. GUARANTEE PROPER SEALING OF DOORS AND WINDOWS

In case of tornadic winds, a little opening in your windows or entryways could broaden (read: break) and permit enough of a breeze inside, wreaking havoc and spreading water.

5. CHECK FOR LOOSE FENCE POSTS

Wind will astound you. Fence posts are frequently neglected or overlooked in home owners' storm prep, and when one is uprooted, it can take fencing material with it.

6. TRIM YOUR TREES

Downed limbs pose a big problem to home owners. They can fall on roofs, on fencing, on garages and vehicles, resulting in costly damage.

MOST IMPORTANTLY

Remember to secure individuals.

Your home and the things inside are replaceable. Your family isn't.

Have a storm wellbeing plan set up, including a protected area to go, similar to a cellar or tornado cellar, to brave the most noticeably terrible.

Always, storm season brings a great deal of vulnerability, but that doesn't mean there's no way around it.