Summer weather along the Gulf Coast brings unique challenges to homeowners and their properties. The typical weather forecast, in general, often includes daily afternoon thunderstorms that can contain heavy rain and high winds as well as lightning and thunder.
In addition, hurricane season begins June 1st (and runs through the end of November). Hurricanes as well as other tropical systems can be unpredictable, often bringing damaging winds exceeding 74 mph or higher, heavy rainfall and even tornados and cyclones.
These extreme weather conditions can damage homes and other property and be costly to repair even with homeowner’s insurance coverage.
A FORTIFIED™ roof in Alabama enhances your home’s current structure to better stand up to these storms, prevent damage and offer increased peace of mind during this season.
Assess your home’s vulnerabilities
The professionals at Fortified Inspections can help get your home ready to better withstand hurricanes and other storms this summer.
Our team will perform a thorough inspection of your home, addressing any issues or weak points, assessing windows, doorways and roofing. Identifying and repairing any ‘weak’ points can help ensure your home’s structure can hold up during a storm with minimal damage.
Clear gutters and drainage systems
It is important to clean your gutters and other drainage systems regularly to avoid the buildup of debris on a roof or resulting from storms.
Clogs caused by collecting sticks, pinecones, pine needles or growing algae can result in gutter overflows or leak issues that can damage your home’s structure, leading to costly repairs.
Water tends to flow down the path of least resistance, and sometimes that could include your roof, soffits, windows or other permeable materials.
Trim trees and secure loose objects
Keeping limbs near or hanging over your roof trimmed can help minimize the debris gathering on your roof and inside your gutters following a storm. This debris can also damage your shingles and decrease the life expectancy of your roof.
Maintaining clean gutters will help minimize damage to your home and help repairs to your home’s structure.
It is important to secure outdoor furniture, play structures, toys and trampolines to keep them from becoming projectiles that cause damage to your home or your neighbor’s during a storm. If these items cannot be brought inside, placed in a garage or storage shed, secure them off with ropes or bungee cords to keep them from flying away with high winds.
Upgrade to a FORTIFIED™ Roof
The benefits of a FORTIFIED™ roof are far-reaching!
A FORTIFIED™ home has enhancements to the home’s roof, chimney, windows, doors (including garage doors) and more, based upon standards set by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS).
Fortified Inspections’ home inspectors can evaluate your home’s structure and upgrade it to a FORTIFIED™ Roofing System. These improvements are designed to lessen the impact and damage from storms this hurricane season (and all year long), saving homeowners money due to costly repairs caused by leaks in your home’s structure.
Having your home FORTIFIED™ is a positive investment and can increase your home’s value.
Want more good news? The Strengthen Alabama Homes (SAH) grants can provide up to $10,000 to help cover the costs of fortifying your home.
Grants applications open several times per year for owners of single family, existing home to apply (the grants are not based upon income). More information can be found at fortifiedhome.org.
In addition, homeowners can save up to 55 percent on homeowner’s insurance with a FORTIFIED™ roof.
As you can see, upgrading to a FORTIFIED™ roof can save you time and money while helping avoid costly repairs resulting from a storm. It can pay for itself and offer invaluable peace of mind when a storm approaches your area.
Review and update your home insurance
The best time to review your homeowner’s insurance coverage is BEFORE a storm hits. Now is a good time to check with your insurance agent about what is covered under your policy when it comes to storm damage.
Keep in mind that damage resulting from high winds or flood waters may not be included. In many locations, damage from wind is not covered under a routine policy. These may require a separate policy.
Also, understanding your deductible amounts could save you a lot of time and frustration following a storm. It also may be a good idea to adjust your deductible if it’s too high for your current financial situation.
Prepare an emergency kit and plan
Gathering together supplies and having a plan before a storm arrives is crucial. It is important to make plans to keep you, your family and pets safe.
Be sure to check on elderly family members and neighbors ahead of a storm to help them with their plans.
Letting out-of-town family and friends know your evacuation plan and how they can reach you is a good idea.
Be sure to board up (or use hurricane shutters) to protect your home and its belongings before an evacuation is ordered, or if you decide to leave town.
And finally, every emergency preparedness plan and kit should include bottled water, non-perishable food items, batteries, a weather radio, necessary medications/prescriptions, baby formula/diapers and the following documents:
- Household identification like drivers’ licenses, state IDs, passports, Social Security cards, etc.
- Medical information like health and dental insurance cards, lists of medications, disabilities documentation, etc.
- Financial and legal documents like lease/mortgage/deed, insurance policies, loan documents, wills, vehicle titles, bank accounts, etc.
- Emergency contact information for the household like employers/supervisors, daycares, churches, service providers, home repair services, etc.
Remember, being prepared is necessary to avoid unexpected situations or problems that result from a hurricane or tropical storm. Be safe, be prepared.
Protect your Alabama home this summer
Summer brings lots of sunshine, fun water activities, school-free days for kids and plenty of lazy days. But there are weather challenges that coastal residents understand all too well that can result in the loss of homes and, unfortunately, lives.
There are easy steps we can take to help protect our homes and families from the extreme, coastal weather conditions that summer brings.
Tornados, heavy rain, high winds, flooding, lightning and thunder can leave your home vulnerable to costly damage. Having a home that is FORTIFIED™ helps protect our investment and avoid preventable repairs that can add up quickly.
Fortifying your home is one of the best ways to protect your investment and, more importantly, your most important investment—your family.