Storms are a staple of the summer months, ranging from light drizzles to the full fury Mother Nature can unleash. While your home and adirondack chair covers can handle your run-of-the-mill rainfall, it will require some preparation on your end to ensure your home can handle the more intense storms, inside and out.
Gutter Nonsense
Summer storm preparation starts with a thorough inspection and cleaning of your home’s gutters and downspouts, which are on the front lines of heavy rainfall.
Now is the time to clear out all of the leaves and debris that have accumulated over the seasons and ensure that your gutters can handle an intense amount of rainfall. Be sure to have your outdoor tarps and sofa covers in place as you toss down all of the accumulated debris.
Lose the Leaks
Another aspect of your home that requires some in-depth inspection are spots where leaks are common. The most common areas for leaks to spring up are your roof and skylights.
Taking care of leaky spots ahead of late summer storms will save you significant stress in the long run. You can hire a professional to properly patch any leaks and reinforce the area to ensure that no rain makes its way through.
Talkin’ Bout My Generator
With every heavy storm that shows up in summer, there’s a risk that downed power lines will leave you and your family without electricity. While a long term outage is unlikely, it’s worth it to consider investing in a generator.
Even a small scale generator can provide vital power to your home when you need it most. Make sure to give your generator a test run ahead of time for reassurance that everything is in working order.
Side Story
The siding of your home is especially susceptible to the harsh winds and rains that accompany strong storms. Even the smallest crack in a home’s siding can result in serious issues.
Take the time to fill up any cracks or holes in the siding with weatherproof caulking or even replace pieces if necessary. It’s also wise to protect your siding with measures such as a waterproof outdoor curtain that can bear the brunt of the rain fall.
Wonderful Weatherstrips
Windows, points of entry, and garage doors will benefit greatly from the addition of weatherstripping to their frames. High quality weatherstrips effectively insulate potentially weak framing and keep water or wind from entering the home.
Storage Smart
Protecting your outdoor equipment and accessories is as simple as storing them away come time for storms. Gather up potted plants, sports equipment, cushions and their cushion cover, and similar small items and tuck them away in your garage or storage shed.
Secure It
Larger, freestanding structures in your picture perfect yard will need to be properly secured prior to a storm. This can be achieved using a number of methods, the most common of which is covering the structure with a tarp and securing the tarp to the ground using stakes or heavy weights.
Cover Up
There’s a good chance you have a few backyard accessories that can’t be moved to storage ahead of a storm. Whether they’re bolted to the ground or simply too large for keeping in the garage, they will require some protection for when the storm rolls in.
Weatherproofed covers will maintain your accessories’ integrity no matter what Mother Nature throws their way. From sofa covers to adirondack chair covers, you can cover just about anything in preparation for a storm.
Trim and Proper
One of the biggest hazards during a summer storm are strong winds causing branches to fall onto your home, car, or other outdoor belongings. Dedicate an afternoon to trimming your yard’s trees and bushes, making sure to cut down as much as possible without leaving things bare.
Shutter the Storm
The windows of your home are particularly vulnerable to the strong winds of a summer storm. If you’re concerned about the possibility of broken windows, consider investing in storm shutters.
Storm shutters effectively shield windows from debris picked up by storm winds. They can be found at most hardware stores, are simple to install, and can be painted to match the exterior of your home for some visual harmony.
Venerated Valuables
When it comes to protecting your valuables, you can never be too safe. In the hours prior to a storm rolling in, take the time to move valuables away from vulnerable spots such as windows and doors. Store them in an interior room until the storm passes.
For extra peace of mind, you can invest in a weatherproof safe for important documents and irreplaceable items. Storms may be strong, but a well-built safe is stronger.
Stay on Top of the Storm
Keeping tabs on the weather is the simplest way to prepare your home for summer storms. Make a habit of checking the forecast daily, and opt in to emergency weather alerts on your phone.
Summer storms are known for their unpredictability, so always be on alert for a surprise afternoon shower that may be more intense than a bit of drizzle.
Recent Comments