If you are living in an area that is prone to hurricanes, tornadoes or severe storms and weather, you need to be prepared in many different ways. Take these steps to ensure storms do as little damage as possible to your home and family.
Roof & Gutters
Your roof and gutter system is your first line of defense against rain. Look from the ground to see if any shingles on your roof are loose or warped. Look in your attic to see if it has any areas with mold growth or visible stains, a sign of leaks. Repair or replace sections of your roof where water is getting in.
Check your rain gutters and make sure they are clean and water can flow unimpeded to the downspout. Improperly functioning gutters cause water to back up onto your roof and leak down your walls, particularly during a heavy downpour. Overflowing gutters also damage landscaping and the foundation.
Add a gutter leaf guard to your rain gutter system to ensure it stays free and clear of clogging debris. You certainly don’t want to be climbing a ladder in the middle of a hurricane to clean out your gutters. Get gutter guards! Also, examine your downspouts and add an extension to move water further away.
Gutter Helmet gutter guards can handle over 22 inches of rain per hour. This is more than you are ever likely to see, so you can be confident it will protect your roof, walls, foundation, landscaping and flowers.
Landscaping
Examine your landscaping. One of the most destructive elements of high winds is flying or falling branches from large trees and bushes. Examine any trees in your yard and make sure they are not in danger of losing branches or, even worse, falling down altogether. Trim and remove loose branches.
Pay particular attention to trees close to your house. Trees falling onto roofs can cause major and expensive damage, as well as injury and even death to a home’s occupants. Moreover, the roof will then no longer keep out any rain, causing water damage inside the home.
Also consider removing lawn furniture or other objects in the yard that can be picked up and hurled at your windows and other vulnerable areas. Think how other structures such as sheds, garden benches or ornaments will fare.
Emergency Plan
Be ready for the worst. Before storms come, you need to prepare an emergency plan for your family. Include phone numbers and a meeting place, so that if a severe storm comes when you’re at work or your children are at school, you’ll all know where to go. Don’t forget to add your pets to the plan.
Make sure that you have basic supplies to last several days at your home. A basic disaster supply kit should include food, water, flashlights, a phone and a radio, and a first aid kit. Also, consider getting a portable emergency generator to use in the event of a power outage.
Call (800) 824-3772 to schedule a free, in-home quote for a gutter leaf guard with your nearest Gutter Helmet® dealer.
