The Most Vulnerable Areas of Your Home

12/19/2022 (Permalink)

Call SERVPRO of West Mecklenburg if you need storm damage restoration in your home!

The Most Vulnerable Areas of Your Home

During a storm, your Brookhill, NC home is not only at risk of damage to the outside structure but also to the inside. The most common areas that can be damaged from high winds or flooding are around doors and windows, roofs, decks and patios. These are all things you can fortify with some quick fixes before the next big storm hits!

Roofs

Roofs are the most vulnerable part of your home, being exposed to all the elements. Roofing materials like asphalt shingles also offer protection, but you may need to take additional measures to make sure your home is safe during a storm. Guttering can act as an extra barrier against high winds that could blow debris onto your roof and tear off shingles or laminate sheets.

Windows

Windows are often the first part of a house to be hit by a storm. Because of this, they can be reinforced with storm shutters or other reinforcements to help protect them from damage. However, even with these measures taken, windows remain one of the weakest points in a structure's overall structure.

If you're worried about your windows and don't want to do any work on them yourself, there are companies that specialize in window fortification who will come out and do it for you quickly and efficiently. 

Doors

If you’re like most people, you probably aren’t thinking about your doors as the most vulnerable part of your home as a storm approaches. However, they are; doors are easily damaged and offer little protection in the case of a strong storm. The best way to avoid serious damage is to reinforce or replace existing doors with steel frames and deadbolts or add a storm door to protect against winds.

While reinforcing existing door frames with steel rod or other material is relatively inexpensive, replacing them entirely can be expensive depending on which type of door is used. Storm doors cost between $100-$200 depending on size but may be worth considering if they offer enough protection from wind damage that could otherwise cause significant damage inside the house.

Deck and Patio

If you're looking to protect your home during a storm, one of the most important things to consider is the deck and patio. These areas are often overlooked by homeowners because they're not as obvious or visible as a garage door or roofline. 

However, decks can be very vulnerable in strong winds and even minor storms.

Check for build quality. If your deck was built with cheap materials or poorly assembled, it may not withstand strong winds at all. You should also check for loose or missing boards on the deck itself; if these have been stripped off by high winds in past storms then there's a good chance that future storms could cause damage as well. 

Be sure to check screws and bolts for rusting or cracking; if these are worn out then it could mean trouble for your deck in an upcoming storm season!

Preventing Damage

There are a few ways you can fortify these vulnerable areas to prevent post-storm damage. Some of these steps may seem like common sense, but they can make all the difference when it comes to protecting your home:

• Install storm windows and doors. If you have older windows or doors that aren't as strong as they used to be, now is the time to replace them with ones that are more resistant to wind gusts and high winds. Not only will this help keep your home safer from the elements, but it will also save you money down the road on air conditioning bills during hot summer months!
• Get an awning for your front porch. An awning is just what it sounds like—a canopy overhanging from a building's facade that gives shade from both direct sunlight and rainwater (and sometimes even snow!). By installing one, not only do you get extra protection against bad weather conditions; but also it adds curb appeal too!
• Install shutters on any windows where sunlight would come through normally without being blocked by something else first (such as curtains) so nothing gets trapped inside when moving objects around happens outside due to heavy winds blowing through town right after sunset tonight."

The most important thing to do is prepare before the storm arrives. If a storm is heading towards your Charlotte home, prepare as much as possible ahead of time, and call SERVPRO of West Mecklenburg if you need storm damage restoration in your home!