Is your home ready for natural disaster? These tips will help you prepare your property for the biggest threats to Connecticut residences.
Hurricanes
Hurricanes don’t happen often, but when they do, they can cause millions of dollars in damage and result in loss of life. Home hurricane preparation involves nailing down and securing loose items so they can’t be whipped away by high winds. Also important to remember is the installation of hurricane shutters, which can prevent damage ranging from inside floods to loss of the roof.
Hurricane season is happening right now. If you don’t have hurricane shutters on your home yet, contact a general contractor who has experience with this type of installation.
Flooding
The most important things you can do to prepare your home for a flood is to maintain its drainage system (sump pump, gutters, etc). If you live in a high risk flood area, paying for flood insurance can be equally important.
Water damage can destroy flooring and lead to mold, making your home virtually uninhabitable. If your home has moisture problems and your drainage system is inadequate, address this problem today, before the next big storm.
Blizzards
Blizzards bring high winds, freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall, all in a short period of time. To ensure that your home is ready for the next big snow storm, have the following systems checked and maintained:
- Furnace. When blizzards hit, you can easily become trapped in your home for hours or days. Without an operational furnace, you could be in danger of freezing.
- Roof. Snow weighs so much that it can actually cause a weak roof to collapse.
Tornadoes
There’s little way to truly prepare for this disaster because tornadoes hit at random and easily have enough power to destroy homes and other buildings. However, there are a few things you can do to secure your loose items. This can offer some protection during small tornadoes.
Start by strapping your top-heavy furniture (like china cabinets, book shelves, etc) to the walls with earthquake straps. You should also check that your large appliances have been strapped down with braided wire.
Hail and Ice Storms
Hail can cause entire tree branches to fall, while ice can weigh down tree branches until they break. To protect your home from hail and ice storms, keep your trees adequately trimmed so that if the branches do fall, they won’t fall on your house. You can also have your home’s roof checked out, because hail can puncture a hole in rotted sheathing, if it’s bad enough.
If you’re ready to prepare your Connecticut home for natural disaster, contact Litchfield Builders today. We’ll be happy to give you a consultation and show you the various ways that you can prepare your property for natural disaster.
