by Dawn Hawkins

Created on: April 22, 2009

Preparing your home for hurricane season is just as important as preparing yourself for it. Homes receive a great deal of damage through the horrible windstorms. As a result of such costly problems, a team of experts examined both homes that withstood the storms and those that didn't. The idea was to find out what the main causes of property damage were during the storms in order to prevent a repeat of it in the future.

There are four areas of the home that are especially vulnerable to the winds that are created by hurricanes. These areas include the roof, windows, entry doors and garage doors. There are ways to strengthen these areas of your home to avoid paying for it later.

Here are some suggestion that will help keep your home standing in times of disaster:

The Roof

Your roof is the most open to receiving damage due to high winds. This is a place that you want to concentrate on long before disaster strikes. You should assure that the roof and walls are well connected in order to keep the force of winds from pulling them apart.

This is a job that is best left to professionals. They can use the connectors that are designed for this specific purpose to attach roof trusses to wall studs. This is like giving your roof muscles. The roof will now find it much easier to fight the raging storm.

Hips and flat roofs are not as easily damaged as those homes with a gable type roof. You can use braces for the trusses and rafters for a little added protection from the winds. Talk with someone at your local home improvement store or a contractor to find out what is best to use for this purpose.

Windows

The high winds of a hurricane can break right through your windows and glass fixtures. This creates far more problems than other property damage because the flying glass and debris can do physical harm to the homes occupants.

It is wise to purchase and install storm shutters to the house. You should add them to every window in the home including sky lights. This can prevent you from having to board up your windows at the last minute. It is much easier to close shutters than it is to board them up. These are permanent fixtures that also add beauty to your home.

If you do not choose to add those types of fixtures to your home, it is suggested that you purchase plywood that is pre-cut to fit your windows. If there is an impending storm, you will be prepared with your supplies and simply have to board up all windows. Don't leave any panes of glass open and vulnerable to the high winds.

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