How to Protect Your Home From 3 Common Causes of Weather Damage

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Your home is one of your biggest investments; it protects you and your family, and in turn, you want to keep it safe and well-maintained. One of the most significant issues you'll need to account for when it comes to protecting your home is the weather. In fact, weather-related issues accounted for half of all homeowners insurance claims between 2009 and 2016. While you can't control the weather, being aware of the potential damage to watch out for is the biggest first step in protecting your home. Budget Fence N Deck presents a guide to three common causes of weather damage that you need to know about.

Heavy Winds

While wind may seem fairly innocuous, there are actually a variety of different wind types that can wreak serious havoc on your home. Some types of damaging wind that you might encounter include downdrafts, straight-line winds, and microbursts, which can reach wind speeds of up to 100 mph.

To prevent as much damage as possible during wind storms, there are a few steps you can take. Reinforce your garage door, secure your shingles to prevent roof damage, and bring in anything that could turn into a projectile in heavy winds. Covering up your doors and windows with storm shutters, or even having them installed, can also help to protect your home by preventing costly breakages. If you know that you are likely to experience wind storms often, you might also consider removing any nearby trees.

Snow and Ice Buildup

Snow and ice buildup can easily cause problems for you and your home. Just four feet of fresh snow can begin to cause serious stress on your roof, and ice dams can block your gutters, causing water damage, and creating hazardous icicles that may fall and injure someone. To prevent permanent damage from winter storms, it is important to frequently clean snow and ice off your roof; for the best preventative maintenance, begin clearing your roof once there is a buildup of approximately two feet of snow or two inches of ice.

Ice dams are often caused by a poorly insulated attic melting the ice, only to have it refreeze in your gutters. To help prevent this costly problem, ensure that your attic is properly insulated and well ventilated in order to prevent heat loss through the top of your home.

Hail

In 2017 alone, over 10.7 million homeowners were impacted by hail damage. This type of storm is extremely common; in fact, wind and hail damage together cause approximately $15 billion in damages annually. While there isn't a great deal you can do to prevent hail from causing damage, you can take steps to lessen its impact and keep your home safer in the long run.

If you anticipate a hail storm, you should make sure to close your curtains in case of window breakages — or, if you have them, close your storm shutters. Protect your patio furniture by storing it away during the storm, and trim your tree branches frequently to reduce the chances of them falling into your house during a hail storm.

Impacts on Your Roof

One thing that all these weather problems have in common is the impact they can have on your roof. It is vital to have your roof inspected after inclement weather to ensure that it is well-maintained over time, preventing sudden and unexpected repairs. Keeping your roof maintained also gives you an edge if you decide to sell your house, as you will be able to negotiate a higher selling price — in fact, you can expect to recover approximately 60% of installation costs if you install new roofing.

Impacts on Your Roof

When making improvements or changes to your home, such as replacing your roof, adding storm shutters, making deck repairs or improvements, updating your windows or anything else, you want to keep organized files. Both for potential tax deductions and to show buyers in the event that you sell your home. Simply digitize receipts if anything is in paper, then compress your PDF files into a single file using an easy PDF compressor. This ensures you’ve got your files in one place, and that they don’t take up too much room on your hard drive.

Taking careful steps to keep your home safe from storms is a great way to protect one of your biggest investments. Knowing what you’re up against each year gives you the opportunity to plan accordingly. With quick action for any damage, you’ll be in a better position to keep your home and your roof in excellent condition.