Storms are becoming more common across the globe. If you live in an old house or live in an area that regularly receives weather warnings, it might be time to take action to storm-proof your home. Here are a handful of protective methods worth trying out.
Get insured
Home insurance might not save your home from storm damage, but it will cut out the heavy costs of repairs. Floods in particular can come with devastating repair bills, destroying floorboards, entering gas piping and seeping through walls, causing all to have to be repaired. Find a home insurance scheme that covers you for storm damage. Home insurance can be expensive in areas that are regularly storm-prone. Some insurers may not even provide you with a quote. This blog post How To Get The Cheapest Home Insurance can help you to lower costs. Taking some of the preventative measures below could further reduce your premiums.
Lock up garden furniture
Deck chairs, rakes, garden gnomes, bikes and other loose items can all get picked up in a storm, causing damage. Make sure that such items are locked away in a shed or in your house during a storm. Also check loose fence panels to prevent these blowing away and destroying your neighbors’ greenhouse. It may also be worth storing your wheelie bin away to stop this being taken by a storm.
Seal up cracks
Cracks can let in water during a flood or provide a structurally weakness during gale force winds. Make sure that any leaks are seen to. Meanwhile, look out for cracks in walls. Many can be blocked up with caulk, whilst more serious cracks may require more professional intervention to stop them from causing any further damage.
You can add seals to window and door frames to stop gusts of wind getting in. If you’re worried about floods, it may be worth buying some sandbags to take out in an emergency, or inserting a permanent flood guard on your door if flooding is reoccurring problem in your area (this could also lower your insurance rates).
Take measures against treacherous trees
A half-uprooted nearby tree could topple if another storm strikes. Check that there isn’t a tree in your garden or outside the front of your house that could pose a danger. Make sure to check your neighbors’ gardens too. You can hire a tree surgeon to take a look – they may be able to provide you with a clearer idea of the risks and then take action if they think it needs to be cut down. Some trees may require planning permission to get rid of, although generally if they pose a risk a planning committee will have no problem with your taking action. Always check just in case.
Unblock frozen guttering
If exterior guttering is frozen up, it could have made the piping brittle and the whole thing could be ripped off in a storm. This will essentially be a giant block of ice and could come crashing down on a conservatory, a car or a person. Hire someone to unblock this guttering to prevent this being a danger during a storm.