How Can Strong Winds Damage Your Home?

From hurricanes to tornadoes to rainstorms, you never know when your house may become damaged by extreme weather. It’s essential to learn how and why high winds can impact your property. You should never underestimate their potential strength and severity. This way, you can more effectively protect your home and yard from destruction.

Here’s a look at what wind-related weather can do to your house.

Why Does Wind Blow?

It’s important to know why the wind blows if you want to know how it can damage your home. The sun creates wind. It doesn’t distribute heat evenly, which is how you can experience both cool and warm weather. These areas of opposing temperatures create wind when they collide. For example, you’ll feel a breeze on a hot day if you’re close to an ocean or lake as cold air from the water meshes with hot inland air.

A more severe wind event can happen due to extreme atmospherical pressure differences. When paired with rain and humidity, you can expect destruction.

Wind Often Targets Weak Points

Unfortunately, you’ll find that wind often hits your home’s weakest points. These areas are often ones you haven’t had time to fix or didn’t know were fragile. A worn or loose garage door may become detached or damaged during storms — and that’s a generally strong object. You can familiarize yourself with various high wind levels to further your understanding.

You should mainly focus on your home’s weakest points, even though you likely want to protect your entire house. A calculated effort will make a more significant difference in your property’s condition when all’s said and done.

How to Protect Your Property

There are steps you can take to protect your home from wind. Here’s a quick look at what you can do to help.

Consider a Roof Replacement

A roof can last between 20 and 25 years, so you may not need a new roof entirely. Still, you’ll want to assess your roof to see if you need any replacements. The most un-alarming windstorms are more capable than you know. A quick 25 mph gust can knock a few shingles from your roof. Ask a professional to inspect it so you can make any necessary changes.

Remove Debris From Outside

A downed tree branch or random piece of patio furniture makes for easy debris. These objects can fly around your backyard or into your neighbor’s due to high winds.

Try your best to keep your property as clean as possible. Secure anything that the wind can pick up and make airborne. If your area is prone to windstorms, you may want to bolt down heavy objects like your grill or shed with cables.

Cover All Doors and Windows

It’s necessary to cover your doors and windows amid high winds. Many people use large plywood planks when they don’t have time to install more substantial reinforcements. But if you deal with consistently high winds every year, you can install steel storm shutters. This measure will keep objects from colliding with the glass. Plus, you can stay safe knowing your doors and windows won’t burst open.

You can also make more intensive changes. Moving a potentially harmful tree may work better than handling its aftermath. In any case, you’ll want to take precautionary methods seriously when dealing with high winds. A storm can drastically impact your home without much warning.

Keep Your Property Protected From Harmful Wind Damage

As you can see, it’s imperative to consider high winds a threat to your home. Use this information to keep you and your family safe during windstorms. A little effort is more impactful than you may think.

About The Author: Holly Welles is a home & garden writer. She shares more advice on creating beauty in your home on her own blog, The Estate Update, and on Twitter.

Photo by Khamkéo Vilaysing on Unsplash