In life, there are certain things that are inevitable. These include death, taxes, yearly iPhones and bad weather. It’s the latter situation that is bad news for your home however, and it can be quite hard to combat.
But combat you must! As you may have guessed, we don’t live in the Stone Age anymore and there are dozens of bits of machinery and tech that can boost your home’s defenses. This article will run down 5 of the best, setting you on the right track to beating that bad weather.
1. A backup generator. When the wind and rain comes battering down, the electricity is usually the first thing to go. This makes it difficult to protect yourself from further damage, as it restricts vision as well as your communication options.
Fortunately, backup generators are becoming more and more common in homes as well as businesses. As the name implies, it will provide you power in the event that your main source ceases to work. The very best generators turn on the instant your main supply fails, so you don’t even need to access it yourself.
2. Exterior shelters. Depending on the severity of the weather, it may no longer be viable to remain cooped up in your home. This in mind, you’ll need to install some form of exterior shelter, which can be used in the event your home becomes too a no-go zone.
One common improvement that people implement are storm shelters. These shelters can withstand adverse rainy and windy conditions and can be secured to the exterior of your home.
Pro-tip; if you live on a floodplain, install your shelter slightly above ground so you can still access it.
3. Hurricane straps. If the area you live in is particularly windy and prone to tornadoes and hurricanes, these are for you. Hurricane straps (also known as roof clips) are fitted to your roof and can hold it down so it doesn’t blow away.
Of course, it’d take a pretty severe storm to literally detach your roof, so this is only useful for those in hurricane hotspots. It’s not a cheap job, but it’s certainly cheaper than replacing an entire roof from scratch.
4. Gutter guards and filters. The wind and the rain can blow leaves into your gutters, which can cause a whole host of issues, including a leaky roof. Of course, you could physically climb up and pick out all the leaves yourself, but why make things so hard?
Gutter guards will do the job for you. They act as filters which you place directly in your guttering, to catch the leaves and allow the water to flow properly. The fluid won’t get built up, and won’t seep into your home. It’s a cheap bit of kit that’s easy to fit, too.
5. A sump pump. Sump pumps, besides having a funny name, are incredibly useful. They’re used in basements, and can pump out the water as fast as it accumulates.
Sump pumps have automatic sensors, so you can fight flooding without lifting a finger. This reduces the costly damage of flooding, and makes your basement a safer place for electronic equipment!
