When a storm is announced, there is not much time to waste. Hurricanes bring deadly winds and heavy rain, which can severely damage you or your property. You may be wondering: how do I prepare for a hurricane? There are three places that need to be secured to minimize the damage; the outside of your home, your garage, and the inside of your home. Here are a few tips on how to prepare your home for a hurricane.
Outside Your Home
Anything that is outside when the storm hits will most likely to end up flying in the air if it?s not properly chained down. Move any lawn furniture into the house of garage, along with any potted plants, tools, toys, or decorations. Collect all the loose sticks on your yard, and grab any low hanging branches that may get grabbed by the wind.
Your Garage
Garage doors can be damaged by heavy winds, leaving your car and storage at the mercy of the storm. Thankfully, there are a few ways to reinforce your garage to keep the storm at bay. You can reinforce your garage door by adding a brace to add some extra support. These can be as simple as two 2x4s attached to the concrete slab above the door. If you have hurricane blinds, be sure to pull them down. If you don?t, make sure the windows are securely closed, and put the normal blinds down.
Inside Your Home
Preparing your home for a hurricane is all about adding protection to any area in your house where the storm can enter, such as the doors and windows. If you have hurricane blinds, now is the time to pull them down. If you don?t have hurricane blinds, you can still reinforce your windows by attaching planks of wood across the window and into the walls. Deadbolt all the doors, and cover up the bottom of doors with sandbags or other heavy materials to prevent any water from leaking in.