Make Your Home Resilient

Can You Make Your Home Resilient to Extreme Weather?

Yes, yes you can. But just imagine, a powerful hurricane is heading your way. What do you do? Panicking seems like a natural way to react, mostly because you realize that there’s a chance you won’t have a home once the storm is gone. And hoping for the best isn’t really the most reliable approach.

So, what else can you do? You can make your home stronger to be able to withstand those hurricanes, alongside other disasters such as floods, wildfires, and similar.

There are quite a few ways you can upgrade your hose in order to make it more durable/resilient when facing a disaster, and in this article, we’ll go through what you can do depending on what you’re facing.

Let’s dive in!

Extreme Weather and How to Help Your Home Survive It

Let’s go through event by event and check what you can do in each specific situation.

  • Hurricanes and Storms

With hurricanes and storms come strong winds, floods, and flying debris. All of this can cause a lot of damage to your home. One of the best ways to prepare is to install storm-resistant windows and doors. You can also reinforce your roof to make it stronger against high winds.

Another smart thing to do is to secure loose objects around your yard, like patio furniture, to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles. If you live in an area that floods, it’s a good idea to install sump pumps and proper drainage systems to prevent water from getting into your home. 

You should also think about your siding to reinforce the exterior of your house. Google “siding contractor near me” to see your choices of local contractors and pick one based on good reviews to ensure good quality of work. You want a reliable, safe, and long-term solution, after all.

  • Wildfires

Wildfires are incredibly dangerous, even if they’re not directly hitting your home. Flying embers from a fire nearby can land on your roof or siding and start a blaze. To protect your home, use fire-resistant roofing and siding materials, like metal or fiber cement. These are much less likely to catch fire than traditional options. 

You’ll also want to create a defensible space around your home. Clear away dry grass, leaves, and other debris that could fuel a fire.

  • Flooding

Floods can cause massive damage, especially to your foundation, walls, and basement. One way to protect your home is to elevate it above flood levels, which can prevent water from reaching its lower floors. You can also install flood barriers or flood-proof windows. 

If you have a basement, waterproofing it and adding a sump pump will help keep the water from flooding in. You might also want to add water-resistant materials to your floors, walls, and insulation. 

  • Tornadoes

Tornadoes are unpredictable and can cause serious damage to your home. High winds can tear off roofs, knock down walls, and send debris flying. One of the best ways to protect yourself is by having a storm shelter or a safe room inside your home. These rooms are specially made and they can handle strong winds and flying debris. 

You should also reinforce your roof and windows, as well as your foundation and exterior walls. All of this together can prevent your home from being destroyed. 

  • Extreme Heat Waves

Extreme heat can really strain your home, especially your AC system. It can also damage the structure itself if it’s unprepared. Install reflective floors and paint your exterior in a light color so your home can reflect the sun’s heat. Proper insulation will also keep the heat outside, so your AC doesn’t work overtime. 

There’s also the option of installing energy-efficient windows that block out heat and keep the interior more comfortable. 

  • Ice Storms and Freezing Temperatures

Ice storms and freezing temperatures are hard on your home, especially on your roof and pipes. The weight of the ice can cause your roof to collapse or your gutters to break, and frozen pipes can burst and cause flooding. 

To prevent any of this from happening, reinforce your roof and gutters to handle that extra weight. You should also insulate your pipes so they don’t freeze. Roof heat cables can prevent ice dams, which can cause water to back up and leak into your home. 

Conclusion

The weather is unpredictable, and you can’t change that. But what you can change is how your home handles everything Mother Nature throws its way. Why have the roof fly off if you can reinforce it? Why have the pipes burst and flooded your house if you can insulate them? 

Preparing for the worst might be considered as if you were trying to invite the disaster, even manifesting it. But that’s not the case. Not really.

Smart homes don’t make you a doomsdayer, or a harbinger of disaster, but they surely do make an impactful and tangible difference between a standing structure and a pile of wood chips after a raging storm.