Home Improvement News Bureau

Don’t Get Blown Away By Hurricanes

Expert Tips to Protect Your Home from Top to Bottom

MONEY PIT NEWSBUREAU - September 16, 2003:  As Hurricane Isabel heads towards the East coast, Americans are bracing for what may well become the first Category 5 hurricane to strike the United States in more than a decade.  With winds exceeding 150 mph, Isabel is within inches of being upgraded to the most serious of storm classifications and could cause billions of dollars to unprotected homes from South Carolina to Massachusetts.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Andrew was the last Category 5 storm to strike the United States.  Landing in Florida in 1992, Andrew ripped roofs from buildings and caused uproar in the building industry by revealing serious flaws in residential construction practices that experts say could have minimized damage.

The National Hurricane Center predicts that Isabel could hit anywhere from North Carolina to New Jersey with wind up to 130 mph late Thursday or early Friday.  That only leaves homeowners a few days to prepare for the damaging winds, rain and debris.

“In many ways, our homes are still as vulnerable today as they were when Andrew hit in 1992,” said Tom Kraeutler, a nationally syndicated home improvement radio host who spent the last 20 years as a professional home inspector.  “While new construction practices have improved, there’s still ignorance on the part of existing homeowners who think it can’t happen to them.”

Kraeutler, whose radio show The Money Pit is heard on nearly 135 radio stations across the nation, pointed out only newly built homes fall under the scrutiny of modernized building codes and that 75 percent of the housing stock in the US is over a quarter-century old. “The older homes are at highest risk from serious storms, but new homes face dangers, too,” he said.

Do-It-Yourself Disaster Proofing
So what can you do? Plenty! With advanced planning and a few improvements, Kraeutler says older homes can be made far-more disaster proof.  Here's where to start:

• WEAK WINDOWS – If you live along the coast, homemade plywood or professionally built shutters are a must when storms are imminent.  Buy ½ inch plywood stamped “CDX” and cut sheets to fit the outside of each window.  Pre-drill 1/8th inch holes every 12 inches and secure to windows with screws.  To minimize cosmetic damage, mark where each shutter goes.  Next time, you’ll be able to use the same screw holes and have fewer repairs to fix after the storm passes.
• HURRICANE TIE-DOWNS - Roofs often go first in severe storms. Simple metal “tie-down” straps can keep roof rafters tied to the top wall of the house and prevents uplift during high winds. Straps can also secure walls to floors and keep floors tied tight to foundations.  While this improvement takes some specialized skills, it’s simple and inexpensive to accomplish, even with professional help.
• BRACE GARAGE DOORS - More homes are "blown-up" in storms then "blown-down". The reason? Weak garage doors blow into the house during a storm. When this happens, wind pressure fills the house with air and causes severe damage.  Investing in a sturdy garage door or bracing the one you have makes sense.  For a quick reinforcement, secure two 2x4’s across the inside of the door by attaching them to the side jambs of the garage door opening in the exterior wall.
• FLOOD-PROOF BASEMENTS – Basements and crawlspaces flood when the volume of water in the soil builds to the point where walls can no longer hold it back.  To avoid, act now to remove obstructions from gutters, extend downspouts and eliminate low lying areas of soil, which allow water to run back into foundations.  By keeping water away from the foundation, flooding can be minimized of avoided completely.  To be extra cautious, be sure to remove important personal property from all below grade spaces in your home and check sump pump operation by filling the sump with a garden hose. The pump should come on before the sump overflows.
• TRIM TREES – Survey your yard for weak tree branches that lie within crashing distance of your home and trim these away before the storm.  Also, you can avoid uprooting of larger trees by strategically removing branches to allow high winds to flow through.
• PICK UP PROJECTILES – Every item left outside your home in a storm can become a dangerous projectile when fueled by high winds.  Remove all outside furniture, garbage cans, toys, flowerpots or any other piece of personal property you can move.
  PREPARE TO LOSE POWER – Power outages are one of the primary storm damages.  Be prepared when the lights go out by buying a generator and enough fuel to run it for several days now.  If local stores are sold out, try www.electricgeneratorsdirect.com.  The site offers a wide range of products and delivery can be accomplished in just a few days.

Besides these home improvements, The Money Pit host says there are a couple of things you should do ahead of time to help in recovery should disaster strike.

• DOCUMENT CONTENTS - An accurate inventory of your home's contents is a critical first step to getting back on your feet.  An easy way to do this is to videotape each room of your home, making sure to open every drawer and closet.
• STORE SAFELY - It's important to store the inventory safely so the records can't be destroyed in the very disaster you're trying to protect against. If possible, keep important records off-site in a safe deposit box, or at least in a fire-proof box.

Floods Not Covered
According to the American Red Cross, even a Category 4 storm can trigger storm surges 13 – 18 feet above normal making flooding a real risk.  Unfortunately though, flood damage is not covered by homeowner’s insurance policies.

“Flood insurance is available through government backed Flood Insurance Program, but it’s not cheap, has a 30 day waiting period and the coverage is minimum,” said Kraeutler.  “Anything you can do now to minimize potential damage to your property before the storm hits is the best investment you can make.”

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