No one wants to find themselves in the path of a hurricane, but it’s likely to happen at some point if you have a home on the coast of Florida. It may be small or a Category 5 hit. Either way, the damage can be significant if you don’t know how to hurricane proof your home.

Why is it important to prepare your house for a hurricane?

Figuring out how to hurricane proof your house is time well-spent. Preparation can make the difference between an inconvenience and disaster. Technologies now exist that can mitigate many of the damaging effects of hurricanes. Benefits of hurricane preparedness include:

• Improving your safety. Belongings can be replaced, but you and your loved ones cannot. Protecting the people around you from injury or death is a priority.
• Limit future repair expenses. Preventing hurricane damage is much cheaper than repairing and replacing lost or destroyed belongings.
• Reduce anxiety or stress. Anxiety before a hurricane hits and coping with its aftermath are avoidable emotional burdens.
• Safeguard precious belongings. Some things are irreplaceable and therefore worth greater protection.

7 tips on how to hurricane proof your house

Here are some tips for how to prepare your house for a hurricane. If you focus on these seven areas, you will be well ahead of the game to protect your house from a hurricane.

1. Add a hurricane resistant storm door

During a hurricane, wind and water push through regular doors. Look for doors specifically designed to withstand storms. Those made with fiberglass and double doors, both of which are reinforced, will protect your home the best. Double doors and fiberglass doors are great options for protecting your home and often come with reinforcement options. Financing storm windows and doors can help ease the cost.

2. Upgrade to a wind resistant roof

Strong winds can wreak havoc on your roof. If you’re lucky, you will just lose shingles and roof tiles. However, if winds are strong enough, your entire roof can lift off.

Reinforcing the structure and using the right materials installed by a hurricane-resistant rooms specialist is expensive, but usually worth it. The best type of roof for hurricanes is metal, but you can find good options in other materials. A new roof that can withstand hurricane force winds is not cheap, so you may wish to investigate roof financing options.

3. Install hurricane impact windows

Upgrading your windows should be near the top of your list to hurricane proof your home. When windows blow in, flying glass can damage belongings and injure those inside. Water damage can be significant. One of the worst consequences is wind entering your home and pushing up your roof, causing it to fail.

Hurricane resistant windows are more expensive than regular windows, but the protection counts. This isn’t an area to cut corners, so consider options for financing storm windows and doors.

4. Protect your HVAC System

HVAC systems are vulnerable to storms. Those mounted on roofs can be pulled off in a storm, weakening your roof and creating a way for water to get in. Debris can be blown into vents that will damage the unit. Power spikes from lightning and flooding will destroy your system.

If your HVAC is in a low spot, you may wish to bring in a pro to move and secure it. Be sure to disconnect the unit from power to protect it from surges. Remove debris from the area and cover the unit’s vents. These are things to prepare for when it is time to replace your HVAC system. Still, it is never too late to be ready.

5. Fortify any entry ways

If you don’t have doors that can withstand a hurricane, add hurricane shutters to protect them. If you can’t do more, screw in plywood coverings. Nailing on plywood will provide little protection as the wind will rip it out. Permanently installed hurricane shutters are cheaper than hurricane resistant doors and windows and also provide considerable protection.

6. Install metal braces for your garage door

Because of the size of the opening, your garage door is vulnerable in a hurricane. It is only attached to your house by wheels, so it can be easily pulled off the track. One of the primary ways to hurricane proof your house is to fortify your garage door.

Shutters will not keep the full force of the hurricane out of your home. Braces reinforce the hinges on door sections and keep it attached to the garage walls, minimizing the risk its structural integrity will fail. Don’t forget to disconnect the garage door opener to protect it from power surges.

7. Secure heavy or loose outdoor items

Blowing debris causes a surprising amount of damage in a hurricane. When thinking about how to prepare your house for a hurricane, clear your yard of anything that can become a projectile. Make sure patio furniture and yard decor is inside and secured. Look around for loose branches that can blow off in the wind. Consider tying lightweight storage structures in your yard down.

How much does it cost to hurricane proof your house?

The costs of hurricane proofing your house can add up substantially, often reaching upwards of $30,000. Windows, doors, and reinforcing structures aren’t cheap. Keep in mind, though, that the cost of failing to prepare your house can be even more staggering.

If you don’t have ready money in your bank, there are various homeowner financing options. You can borrow against your home equity and apply for PACE financing. The latter option allows you to borrow up to 15% of your home’s value.

Prepare your Florida home for hurricanes

Preparing your home for a hurricane takes both money and advance planning. With Home Run Financing, you will have the cash you need whether financing storm windows and doors, roof financing or reinforcing your structure. Contact Home Run Financing today to learn more about PACE financing in Florida or apply now to get your home renovation project started.