There are certain things that are not under the control of man. Natural disasters like storms, floods, drought and hurricanes are a few. These disasters are “natural calamities” and have the capacity to shatter lives in a few seconds. Apart from praying that these do not strike you or your vicinity, there are certain things that can be done to save human lives from such disasters. These remedies are known as ‘Pre-Disaster Management’.
Among all, hurricanes are among the most devastating of all natural disasters. Home is the first thing that should be protected against these natural disasters. Government has set certain building codes which if implemented at the time of construction can, to an extent, protect the structure of a building. An expert or an architect can lay down a series of best practices to follow before the foundation is laid, walls are erected or the roof is set. But apart from these there are certain things still left to be addressed and these are the windows and doors. Hurricane winds can break in through doors and windows and the debris often create havoc by slashing through the window glass. In order to protect the window and doors, hurricane shutters are a great way to make the home a secure place for you and your family.
There are some other precautions that should be done in preparation for the storm season. Things like trimming down trees and bushes. Picking up lose items in the yard and garden will help avoid storm winds and rain come in to the house. If you are constructing or renovating your house, you might consider getting impact – resistant windows or impact resistance hurricane shutters. They have a higher capacity of protecting against windstorms.
Next important thing to consider are the doors. The front door should have three hinges and one inch long bolt. The doors should also be impact resistant. Try to avoid regular glass doors as they are not-impact rated and cannot sustain the storm wind pressures. Hurricane shutters can also be used to protect non-impact hurricane rated doors
Garage doors should also be looked into to make sure they are rated for storm winds and are installed properly to withstand the wind pressures during a storm. Roofs are also very important and lose tiles or lose material should be repaired. The sheathing should be properly connected to the walls and it should be fastened according to the guidelines laid by the proper building code. The roof should be covered with storm resistant material and it should further be sealed to ensure higher protection. There are adhesives which are standard according to the appropriate building codes along with the proper fasteners to be used.
Walls are also important as they hold the structure. The joints should be secured with metal clips and the foundation should be strong to resist the pressures put up by the weight structure and storm winds. Multi-story houses should be well connected to each other. These measures can ensure a sound and solid construction.
There are disaster management centers that offer a complete guide and best practices on construction and especially on how to protect your home from hurricane winds. If you are thinking of renovating your house or fitting it with hurricane resistant devices, make sure you do the proper research on the type of protection that will best meet your goals and fit within your budget. Do not wait until the last minute to ensure your house and family are protected during a storm. Act early and have the peace of mind that you and your loved ones will be safe during a storm.