5 Ways to Prepare Your Home for Summer Storms

Severe storms can wreak havoc on unprepared homeowners, dealing thousands of dollars in potential damage. As a homeowner, preparing your home for a storm is critical to staying safe and minimising the costs of storm damage.

If you want to leave your home (and your wallet) unharmed during storm season, then you need to make sure your property can survive the effects and risks that storms often bring.

Here are some of the best ways to do it:

1. Have your house inspected by a professional

To get through storm season, you need to feel confident knowing that your home can withstand big storms in the first place. And the best way to do this is to have an expert building professional check your property for you, particularly if it’s an older, heritage listed structure. While your home may look fine on the outside, the building inspector may tell a completely different story.

By having a professional inspect your home for you, you can make sure your home is structurally sound and can adequately protect you and your family during a severe storm.

Essentially, you want the inspector to pay close attention to the building’s roof and gutters, making sure there are no leaks or structural damage. Any structural damage to your home’s foundations should be checked too, keeping an eye out for any existing termite or water damage that could weaken them.

2. Secure doors and windows

Securing your doors and windows and keeping them closed is critical in severe storms. (Open doors and windows can let strong winds enter your home, building intense pressure inside that could even blow off your roof in extreme cases).

To make sure they don’t inadvertently open because of strong winds, secure your doors and windows with extra bolts and locks. You can also board up your windows with plywood if you know a particularly strong storm is coming to protect them from strong gusts of wind and flying debris.

3. Check and clean your gutters, drain and roof

It doesn’t take long for the gutters on your roof to get filled with falling leaves, so it important to clean them before storm season hits. Clearing your gutters and drains will help prevent further debris build-up during storms and keep the water flow consistent and contained. Blocked gutters and drains can cause expensive property damage during a storm with overflowing water flooding and soaking parts of your home, so avoid this at all costs.

While you’re up there looking at your gutters, it’s worthwhile checking on the condition of your roof too. Is there any visible rusting on your tin roof or have you noticed some of your roof tiles coming loose? If so, you may want to implement a few quick fixes and consider getting a new roof in the future to prevent leaks or the risk of tiles or your entire roof coming off in a severe storm.

4. Trim your trees

Small, loose branches may look harmless, but they can be dangerous when they fall or fly off at high speeds during a strong storm. It’s common for tree branches to break off and smash unprotected windows and buildings, so make sure you don’t have these hazards near your property.

By trimming and pruning your trees and cutting loose branches, you can reduce the risk of flying debris and better maintain the integrity of your home. If you’re don’t know whether your tree can withstand a storm or if it needs pruning, consult tree experts to help you make the right decision.

5. Secure free and loose items

Speaking of flying debris, you should also secure and protect any items outside your home that could fly away during a strong storm. This includes umbrellas, chairs and tables, metal sheeting, bins, signs, and any other items or furnishings you might have outside. If possible, bring them indoors in your garage or shed to protect them and prevent them from flying off. If you can’t bring them inside, then tie them down and secure them to keep them in place.

Need Tree Experts to Help You Prepare Your Trees for a Storm?

If you want to avoid the risks and costly damage that storms can bring, you need to prepare your property properly – including your trees. We can help you trim or prune your trees correctly so they can survive through a storm without damaging your home or neighbouring properties. Don’t hesitate to contact us if you need help protecting your trees with proper tree pruning.