Hurricane Damage Restoration Services
With summer in full swing, hurricane season is upon us. In fact, we will soon be entering the busy season and nobody knows that better than Gulf Coast residents. The U.S. Gulf Coast is one of the most susceptible areas in the entire world for tropical systems, costing the area billions of dollars in damage almost every year.
Sometimes, storms are so severe that even the best preparations can lead to complete destruction. For most storms, simply making basic preparations can save your property from thousands of dollars in damages.
Keep reading to learn how to minimize hurricane damage for your property, or call Action Restoration today for restoration services.
How To Prepare Your Property For Hurricanes
There are many misconceptions about what you can and should do to prepare for hurricanes, so we wanted to take the opportunity to clear things up and let you know the best preparations you can make to protect your home or business from hurricane damage.
Address the 5 S’s and you can significantly reduce the amount of damage an average hurricane will inflict on your property:
Shutters
Adding storm shutters to your home can help protect against debris and pressurization. Permanent storm shutters are more reliable than simply using plywood. Storm shutters are less likely to detach during storm conditions, leaving your property more secure.
Unlike plywood, however, storm shutters will take longer to install, so if you have waited until the last minute to make storm preparations, plywood will have to suffice.
If you are shopping for storm shutters for your property, look for products that adhere to Florida Building Code TAS 201, 202, and 203, ASTM E 1886 and 1996-03, or Miami-Dade Protocols PA 201, 202, and 203. Products adhering to these building codes will offer the greatest amount of protection.
Soffits
An easy and relatively inexpensive way to protect your property is by ensuring that your soffits are properly secured. Use polyurethane sealant and stainless steel screws to secure soffits to the structure.
Use the sealant along the edge of the channel and the wall and in grooves where fascia material butts against the fascia and wall channel to prevent wind from getting behind the soffit and ripping it off the structure. Use the screws on the fascia and channels so that they connect the soffit material more securely.
Shingles
Re-adhering shingles using roofing cement is an inexpensive and effective way to minimize damage to your home. Place three to four one-inch diameter dabs of roofing cement under each shingle near the edges and in the middle. Put extra focus on shingles near roof edge sand near gable ends.
Surroundings
Most people are unaware of this, but significant damage can actually occur from landscaping materials that are dense, but light enough to be carried by strong winds. Landscaping rocks for example can sometimes be carried by strong winds, leading to damage to windows and siding.
If you are using gravel as a part of your landscaping, consider switching it to mulch. The mulch will be more likely to be carried away in high winds but is light enough as to not damage your property.
Seals
Holes, where wires, cables, and pipes enter your property, are weak points in the structure. Sealing these areas with caulk will prevent wind from getting behind your walls and compromising the integrity of the structure.
Seal any gaps around electrical boxes, breaker panels, wall outlets, lights, pipes, and more.
Hurricane Damage Repair in the Gulf Coast Region
Should you still incur storm damage from a hurricane, Action Restoration is here to help. Nobody does more to get businesses operational again after interruption from catastrophes. When a hurricane strikes, don’t hesitate about who to call or what to do; know that you should contact Action Restoration to assist you with any hurricane damage.
