We all know it; Mother Nature does not mess around. It doesn’t matter where you live, be it by the sea, in the mountains, in a valley, in the plains, city, desert, you name it. Basically, one minute, everything is calm and sunny. Next, it feels like the universe spun a wheel and landed on “chaos.” Maybe it is a dust bowl whipping across the yard. Maybe it is a flash flood rolling through like it owns the place. Hurricanes, tornadoes, wind storms… the list of surprises just keeps getting longer.
But of course, the smart move is getting ahead of it. Homeowners’ insurance isn’t as forgiving as it used to be; nowadays, they’ll tell you that disasters were “preventable”. But generally speaking, weather-proofing a home properly means it can take the hits without falling apart, or turning into a very expensive outdoor pool.
Lock Down the Weak Spots First
So, for starters, if a storm wants to tear into a house, it’s coming for the doors and windows first. Those are the easy targets. Flimsy door? Loose window frame? That’s basically an open invitation for water, wind, and flying tree branches to make themselves right at home.
Again, most homeowners’ insurance won’t give you a payout for weak spots because they’ll see them as preventable. So this is exactly where custom security storm doors step up, at least it’s one example of what you should do. So, heavy-duty storm doors that are built to hold their own. Actually, the exact same thing goes for windows too, and yeah, storm shutters exist to prevent these awful and potentially dangerous issues from even occurring.
Show the Roof Some Respect
Like, a lot of respect, because roof repair and roof replacements due to storms is the furthest thing from being cheap. Basically, roofs are out there taking punches from every storm, and most of the time, they don’t get the credit. Besides, high winds love finding that one loose shingle and turning it into a full-blown nightmare. Basically, all it takes is one spot getting ripped open, and suddenly rain is pouring into the attic like it got an invitation.
Now, it might be obvious, but yeah, regular checks save lives, or at least save a lot of money and sanity. They tighten things down, replace anything suspicious, and do not wait for that first heavy gust to find the weak spot for you. The same goes for gutters, too (and technically, the house siding). But overall, make sure your roof can handle what Mother Nature is going to throw at it!
Power Up Before it All Goes Dark
Yep, big storms love knocking out the lights. Your phone is dead, the fridge is warming up, and the only light source left is the candle that smells suspiciously like last Christmas. It can be a pretty good idea to look into buying a generator, but even saving on some supplies like snacks and bottled water can help, too. You really just never know what could happen.
But really, at the end of the day, weather-proofing a home is not about being scared of what might happen. It’s about knowing the house is ready to take a beating and still be standing when the sky clears.
