The last thing you want is to be unprepared for a major storm and have to deal with storm damage. Baltimore can get some powerful weather during hurricane season, and strong wind, rain, and hail can cause a lot of damage in a short period of time. ServiceMaster of Baltimore shares 4 tips to prepare your home before a hurricane so you can avoid water and wind damage.
1. Clean Out Gutters and Trim Trees
Gutters are there to control water flow from melting snow and rain away from your home. Rainwater flows off the roof into the gutters, which direct the water to the downspout and away from the home to avoid foundation erosion and flooding.
If you have trees around your home, falling branches or leaves can collect in the gutters, making them less effective. Before a major storm, be sure you remove debris from the gutters to reduce the risk of overflow, which could lead to yard flooding, basement flooding, or damage to landscaping. Trimming large branches hanging over your roof or dead branches is important to prevent damage.
2. Secure All Doors (And Don’t Forget the Garage)
The garage door is the most susceptible to damage during a hurricane, but it’s a good idea to do a check around the home to make sure all of the doors and windows are sealed properly. Consider a garage door bracing kit or flood barrier to keep wind and water at bay in a big storm. If exceptionally high winds are forecast, consider using plywood or installing storm windows to keep windows from shattering.
3. Protect Your Roof
When was the last time you had your roof inspected for missing shingles, damaged pipe boots, or other problems? Even if you haven’t experienced any leaks, check the roof if you know there’s a big storm coming. Water damage from a roof leak can become expensive, and the last thing you want is to deal with a leak when there’s a hurricane happening around you. It’s also good to keep an eye on your roof throughout the year to stay ahead of any issues before they become major problems.
4. Consider Installing Surge Protection
Power surges are caused by power grid disruptions, often caused by storms during hurricane season. Anything powered by electricity in your home, such as computers, appliances, routers, gaming consoles, and many more, can have their circuit boards fried in a power surge. Many power strips have surge protection, but there are whole-home surge protectors you can have professionally installed at the main panel and on appliances.
Even if you don’t opt for whole home surge protection, always be sure to protect appliances and major electronics with surge protected power strips or appropriate appliance cords. This reduces your risk for electronics getting damaged in power surges and can even protect you against electrical fires.
Preparing For Hurricanes in Baltimore
Don’t let a hurricane or major storm catch you unprepared! Taking simple, common sense steps will keep your home protected to safely shelter you from storms. ServiceMaster of Baltimore is an experienced professional water damage restoration company, but our goal is to keep you and your family safe. Call us at 410-780-1700 for all of your property’s cleaning and restoration needs. Remember, “For Your Disaster, No One is Faster!”
