Spring is in the air! And it’s such a beautiful time. The trees and flowers are in bud. Warmer weather and longer days call for bike rides and hikes in the big outdoors. It’s also time for a little pedicure…but I digress.
Along with the beautiful weather comes unstable weather patterns that can result in heavy rain, high winds or even hail. Some of these weather patterns are unique to certain regions; however, lately it seems the entire country is afflicted by unstable weather patterns in the Spring. It’ll do us all good to take note of ways to protect our belongings. Our lives are most important of course! But that is for a separate post.
Just last week, we experienced heavy thunderstorms and tornadoes. As my family and I were taking shelter in our downstairs bathroom, my biggest concern was our wellbeing. After the storms subsided, though, I wondered how our well our home stood up to the elements, particularly the high winds. Today, let’s consider how to prepare our homes for 3 types of Spring storms.
High Winds
Do you live in a wooded area like we do? Well, a few days of heavy rain coupled with high winds can definitely cause tree limbs to fall. Spring is an ideal time to inspect your property to help ensure nothing damaging can land on your home. Take some time to trim back branches away from your home’s roof, windows, outside walls, fences, and decking.
Another tip that I will keep in mind the next time there is advance warning of a squall line headed our way is to secure or move patio furniture and any other loose items away from the windows.
And lastly, if your automobile is not garaged, don’t forget to move it away from potentially dangerous areas of the property.
Heavy Rain
Before heavy rains strikes, check gutters and down-spouts to make sure they are pointing away from your home, as well as ensuring the gutters are free of leaves and debris. We failed to do that last year and a gutter backed up along a high roof line. It caused the roof of our front porch to leak as well as the adjoining garage wall. The result? We had to quickly repair the damage in the garage in order to avoid black mold, and we still have to replace portions of wood panelling over our front porch. Needless to say, we made sure we took proactive measures early this year!
Unfortunately, many homeowner’s policies do not include flood insurance. That means that you aren’t covered if fast-rising water from heavy rains causes damage to your home. Check your policy if this is a concern for you.
Hail
My girls were fascinated with the sleet we had this winter. Hail can be an entirely different story. I’ve seen golf-ball sized hail before. It’s not so fascinating to see your vehicle become a metal pin-cushion. Keep your car covered in a garage or car-port whenever possible. If storm damage does occur, seek out the help of your insurance company right away. That’s what your policy premium is for. Don’t let some scam artist come to your home claiming they can make cheap repairs for you. Enter into a contract for repairs only after your insurance company has assessed the situation.
P.S. What Type Of Storm Do You Hate The Most?
