Ways To Avoid Hurricane Damage

11 Ways to avoid hurricane damage

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) predicts that the hurricane season in 2022 will be above average. As of mid-July, up to 21 named storms and three to six major hurricanes with sustained winds of 111 mph or higher were possible. While major storms can cause widespread devastation, homeowners in hurricane-prone states should be aware that any strong storm has the potential to cause damage to a home. This includes category 1 hurricanes, which are the mildest.

If you live in a state where hurricanes are common, knowing how to protect your property is critical. Although weather experts can predict hurricanes, some aspects of hurricanes, such as intensity, duration, and exact area of landfall, are less predictable. That is why, prior to hurricane season, it is critical to take appropriate measures to prepare and protect your home, which may help keep damage to a minimum in some cases.

11 ways to prepare your home for hurricane season

Here are 11 different ways to prepare your home for this year's hurricane season.

Before a storm, board up windows with plywood.

One of the most popular ways to prepare for a hurricane is with a sheet of plywood and a handful of nails. Homeowners typically "board up" their windows with 5/8-inch or 1/2-inch plywood a day or two before the storm is expected to hit. Plywood can effectively reduce or even prevent damage from strong winds, heavy rain, hail, and flying debris.

Cost: Material costs vary depending on location, season, and type of wood, but a 4-by-8-foot sheet of 5/8-inch plywood typically costs between $10 and $50. Total material costs could range from $275 to $750 depending on the size of the home and the number of windows. Although the national lumber shortage is subsiding and plywood prices are falling, some parts of the country are still experiencing inventory shortages, which are driving up the cost of wood.
Effect on insurance:
Pros: Plywood is an inexpensive and effective way to protect against flying debris. The materials are available at any home improvement store. It can be used from season to season if properly stored.
Cons: Working with plywood can be time-consuming, and those with two-story homes may need assistance. Drilling holes in siding and bricks may be required during installation. When windows are boarded up, the house becomes extremely dark as daylight is cut off.

Cover windows and doors with fabric panels to deflect flying debris.

Hurricane-strength fabric panels made of polymer add trampoline-like cushion to windows and doors and repel flying debris without sacrificing visibility in a storm, which can help prevent hurricane damage. Panels are easily installed because they are anchored to the edges of windows and doorways with grommets and wing nuts or clips and pins.

Cost: Around $17 per square foot.
Effect on insurance:
Pros: The panels are simple to install and remove, then roll up and store in a small space. The majority are translucent, allowing visibility through windows.
Cons: Typically, professional installation is required.

Use hurricane straps to secure your roof.

Most houses are designed to keep the roof up, not down. Builders install hurricane straps, clips, and anchor belts to correct for the upward and lateral lifting forces of hurricane winds, which can help keep a home's roof intact and reduce the impact of a hurricane. When properly installed, galvanized straps securely attached to the walls and foundation keep the roof connected to the entire house.

Cost: Inexpensive hurricane straps sell for as little as 50 cents apiece, usually by the box or in coils. Hundreds of straps may be required for a typical home. However, having hurricane straps retrofitted by a builder or roofing professional can cost up to $1,000.
Effect on insurance: Depending on state regulations and your insurer, this can result in significant savings. Please visit the Best Home Insurance Companies in 2021 to learn how this might affect specific insurance policies.
Pros: When properly installed on a new home, hurricane straps significantly reduce the risk of roof failure in high winds. They are simple to install in new construction.
Cons: Installing straps on an existing house can be difficult, time-consuming, and costly.

Use flood barriers to reduce the risk of flood damage.

While there is little a homeowner can do on the coast to prepare for a hurricane's 20-foot storm surge, there are several products that can help protect inland residents from minor flooding. Sandbags are still the cheapest option (many cities and counties provide them for free), but they are heavy and require hundreds of bags and a lot of help to create a solid barrier around a home. Flood barriers that can be quickly deployed in the event of a flood include powder-filled absorbent door dams, water-filled tubes, expanding bags, and portable walls.

Cost: Depending on the product and protection level, the cost to completely surround a home can range from a few hundred dollars to tens of thousands of dollars. If you can't get sandbags for free, a pack of 50 sandbags should cost between $20 and $60.
Effect on insurance:
Pros: Barriers are effective at keeping minor floodwaters out of the house. Some products are simple to set up and can be deployed right before a storm.
Cons: The products can be costly and time-consuming to install, and they are ineffective if floodwaters exceed the height of the barrier.

Install storm panels to protect windows and doors from flying debris

One of the best ways to protect your home from flying debris is to install corrugated steel or aluminum shutters over your windows and doors. Storm panels vary in thickness and are attached to window exteriors via a track and bolt system. When tracks are permanently installed around the house, the shutters can be quickly and easily attached when a storm approaches.

Cost: Prices for steel or aluminum storm panels run from $5 to $15 per foot of coverage.
Effect on insurance: Depending on state regulations and your insurer, this can result in significant savings.
Pros: The panels are strong and can protect against almost any flying debris, making it one of the most affordable permanent shutter systems. Can be quickly deployed before a storm and quickly removed afterward.
Cons: Panels require a lot of storage space. They can be difficult to install, depending on the size of your windows and the number of stories in your home, and you may require additional assistance. Sharp edges can be found on some shutters.

Invest in roll-down hurricane shutters

Roll-down hurricane shutters are the simplest home protectors to deploy before a storm, requiring only the push of a button or the crank of a handle. The shutters are typically made of interlocking double-walled aluminum slats that roll up into a narrow box that sits above the window or doorway. They come in a variety of sizes and colors and are usually custom-fitted to your home.

Cost: While roll-down shutters are the simplest and most convenient way to protect your home, they are often the most expensive window defense option, ranging from $10 to $50 per square foot of window.
Effect on insurance: Depending on the state and carrier, the impact can be significant.
Pros: The shutters are simple to raise and lower. They can also be used to temporarily dim a room's lighting.
Cons: They are prohibitively expensive for the majority of homeowners and typically necessitate professional installation. For use during a power outage, push-button systems require a battery backup or manual override.

In high winds, use a brace to secure your garage door.

Your garage door is one of the most vulnerable parts of your home to high winds. A garage door that fails can allow the full force of a hurricane to threaten the roof or walls. While some newer garage doors are designed to withstand winds of up to 150 miles per hour, many older ones should be braced. Vertical bracing systems are typically made of aluminum and are anchored above the garage door and to the floor to provide an additional support backbone.

Cost: Prices vary by manufacturer, but garage door braces average $158 per brace. Remember that if you have a multi-car garage, you will need one brace for each door. You can expect to pay around $500 for a three-car garage.
Effect on insurance: Discounts are possible depending on state regulations and your insurer.
Pros: Braces are both effective and reasonably priced.
Cons: They may need special tools to drill into the concrete floor, such as a rotor hammer and masonry bit. The garage door cannot be opened unless the brace is removed.

Upgrade your windows with hurricane-impact glass

Want to avoid the hassle and closed-in feeling of shutters? Consider getting hurricane-resistant windows. The glass is typically 3/8-inch thick and has a film coating similar to that found in vehicle windshields. If the windows break or crack, the glass will remain embedded in the frame.

Cost: Hurricane glass windows are not cheap, costing around $55 per square foot. The average cost of installing hurricane-impact glass in your windows is $7,922, but the price can vary depending on the installation company and the number of windows you have.
Effect on insurance: Discounts are possible depending on state regulations and your insurer.
Pros: When a hurricane strikes, there is nothing to install or remove; it is always in place and completely transparent. There is no need for shutters. Hurricane windows also help to muffle outside noise, deter break-ins, and filter out harmful UV rays.
Cons: The windows must be installed by a contractor, and labor costs can be prohibitively expensive.

Install permanent accordion shutters around doors and windows

When not in use, these retractable aluminum shutters are housed on the sides of doors or windows and unfold like an accordion to protect your home's openings during a storm. The shutters can protect not only against wind, but also against forced entry. They usually come in a variety of colors.

Cost: Accordion shutters typically cost between $20 and $25 per square foot. Custom accordion shutters are typically more expensive.
Effect on insurance: Discounts are possible depending on state regulations and your insurer.
Pros: In the event of a storm, accordion shutters can be quickly and easily deployed. They are permanently attached to the house and do not need to be stored.
Cons: They may look unappealing on some houses. The mechanisms used to open and close the shutters may be weaker or more prone to failure than in other products.

Add Bahama shutters for hurricane protection and curb appeal

With the help of telescoping arms, Bahama shutters are hinged at the top of the window and angle outward from the wall. The support arms are typically adjustable from 60 to 90 degrees. In everyday use, the shutters provide wind protection while also providing light, ventilation, and privacy control. They are frequently used in sunny and coastal areas and can give a home a distinct tropical appearance.

Cost: Most Bahama shutters range in price from $20 to $50 per square foot. The average cost for each window is between $140 and $350.
Effect on insurance: Discounts are possible depending on state regulations and your insurer.
Pros: Bahama shutters are permanently attached to the house and can be deployed quickly. They are made of aluminum, vinyl, or wood and can be easily painted to complement or match the home.
Cons: They almost always block full vision from windows and can make a room much darker. The amount of hurricane protection they provide varies depending on the style and manufacturer.

Outfit your windows with easy-to-install colonial shutters

Colonial shutters are a traditional style of window protection that attach to the sidewalls of the window and fold inward to close. When a storm approaches, they can be quickly and easily closed and secured with a brace bar because they are permanently attached to the window frame and held open by a clip system.

Cost: Colonial shutters cost between $20 and $45 per square foot. However, the cost is heavily influenced by the type of shutters used. Wood shutters, for example, typically cost between $200 and $350 per window, whereas composite shutters are less expensive, typically costing between $80 and $200 per window.
Effect on insurance: Discounts are possible depending on state regulations and your insurer.
Pros: The shutters can be easily closed by one person. They can improve a home's curb appeal.
Cons: They must be permanently installed on a house, which can be an expensive and time-consuming process. Installation by a professional may be required.

The bottom line

Hurricanes have the potential to cause significant damage and destruction to homes in their path. The most powerful storms can even level a house. While it is impossible to completely mitigate the potential damage from a hurricane, there are several steps you can take to protect your home and lessen the impact of tropical storms and hurricanes. Having said that, being proactive is critical. Once a hurricane has formed, you won't have much time to prepare your home for what's to come.