How To Protect Your Home From Storm Damage

Large storms can cause severe damage to our homes. If we prepare before the storm, we can save our homes and wallets from getting hit in the process. There are simple ways to prepare your CT home for a storm and protect it from damage. 

Inspect Your Roof 

Check your roof for any weak spots. Look for any chipped or broken material on your roof. A storm can tear these small weak spots and create substantial damage to your roof and potentially cause the roof to leak and destroy your interior. Damaged furniture, destroyed carpets and flooring as well as damage to the wall and anything on it, are just a few costly things that can happen if there are leaks from the roof. Do a clean sweep of the roof and if you see any potential wear and tear make sure to get it inspected and taken care of right away. 

Snow Tip: It may not be snowing just yet but its approaching quickly. When it starts to snow make sure you stay on top of the buildup on the roof. People overlook the roof sometimes when it snows not knowing how strong seems to get when it piles high. Several of roofs have collapsed because the buildup of snow. make sure you are regularly pushing the snow off your roof to prevent destroying your house.

Check Your Gutters 

Make sure your cleaning out your gutters regularly because clogged gutters, especially during a storm, can end up costing you thousands of dollars for something so easy to clean out. The first and most obvious issue with gutters filled to the brim with leaves, twigs, and other debris is simply a weight problem. When that debris gets wet it absorbs the rain water like a sponge and becomes extremely heavy. Strong winds from storms can pick up even more debris filling your gutters to the max.This burden puts stress on the gutters and their hanging brackets, and can pull the gutters off the house. Falling gutters are costly enough to replace on their own, not to mention any lights or windows they smash as they come crashing down. Gutters that over flow with water can damage your exterior's paint and siding. But, the worst damage from gutter overflow can be from the water that sinks into the sides. Wet wood rots and loses its integrity, and this can go unseen behind the siding until it is too late.

Snow Tip: Another reason to clean your gutters is because of ice damming. Snow that is on the roof begins to melt and drips into your gutters. The water drains down under the rest of the snow, keeping it above freezing, until it hits open air at the gutter. The water freezes creating a dam, and the process continues until the continued snowmelt has nowhere to go but down into your home, creating water damage. Clogged drains make it even harder for snowmelt to drain away, speeding up the process of ice damming.

Clean Up Your Patio/Deck 

This may be obvious but sometimes people get caught up on everything else when they see a storm sneaking in.  So to refresh your knowledge, cleaning up patio furniture, decorations or anything else that isn't strongly attached to your patio can save you from serious damage the loose items can cause. It can be costly to replace all the furniture you had on the patio, but even more costly if the furniture were to be shoved into a window or smashing through your patio and deck ledges and floor. The furniture may not be that heavy but with enough force, it can damage strong foundations. 

Snow Tip: Avoid having any furniture or loose items on your deck or patio when it is snowing. If you like to sit outside next to fire and watch the snow fall, make sure you pull out the patio or deck items for those occasions rather than keep them on the patio at all times. Of course, we all know that snow will freeze those items and depending on the material, can damage them permanently. 

 If you want to be prepared in the event that you cannot protect your ct home from storm damage, download our free storm damage repair guide.