Braving the Storm: How to Prepare Your Home for a Hurricane

• Secure loose shingles. Before hurricane warnings appear on your radar, inspect your roof for loose shingles. Use dry roofing cement to secure these shingles, applying four one-inch dabs to the bottom of each one. Then you can re-attach them to your roof, paying close attention to those near the gables of your home.

• Reinforce gables. Gables tend to “unzip” in heavy wind, exposing your home’s interior to the elements. We recommend installing braces at either end of your roof, and ensuring trusses are nailed down properly.

• Reinforce soffits. To prepare your soffits, apply polyurethane sealant where your roof meets your siding. You can buy this sealant at Home Depot or your local hardware store.

• Install hurricane straps. It’s important to secure your roof’s rafters, or underlayment, using hurricane straps. These metal rods attach rafters to the tops of your walls, making your roof sturdier. There are many ways to install hurricane straps yourself, but we recommend calling a contractor to ensure your house is stormproof and ready for hurricane season.

Reinforcing your roof is a vital way to protect your house against wind and rain. However, hurricane roof protection should be an all-year project, especially if you live near the coast.

• Remove your old door. Take your exterior door off its hinges and scrape away the old molding using a pry bar or sharp utility knife.

• Measure your door’s length and width. Make sure your impact doors will fit in your home’s entrance. Once you’ve removed the old coating, take your doorway’s length and width using a tape measure.

• Determine jamb depth. For an impact door to be fully effective, it must open and close properly. Measure your doorway’s thickness and make sure it will accommodate your new hurricane doors.

• Measure your door’s outswing. In most hurricane-prone states, impact doors must have an outswing. If a door opens outward, it better protects your home from high velocity winds.

• Install your impact doors. Once your hurricane doors are properly measured, you can add hinges and a handle. If you’re not sure how to attach them securely, call a professional contractor.

Like your roof, exterior doors are especially vulnerable in high winds. Ensuring your doors are sturdy and storm proof is key to preparing your home for a hurricane.

• Remove decorative elements. Before hurricane winds pick up, move patio furniture and garden decorations into your garage. You don’t want to lose these items in the storm or have them blow against your house. If you’re low on storage space, consider renting a dumpster and clearing out your shed.

• Cut down threatening trees. If a tree was planted scarily close to your house, remove it before hurricane season approaches. The last thing you need is an uprooted or broken tree falling onto your roof.

• Get rid of gravel. Gravel can be harmful during mild thunderstorms, so get rid of it before a hurricane hits. Strong winds will blow loose rocks and dirt against your roof and siding, hurting your home’s exterior. We recommend replacing gravel with mulch or groundcover plants.

• Anchor outbuildings. If you have an outdoor structure (like a deck or shed) that lacks permanent foundation, install mobile straps to keep it in place. These are sold at large hardware stores, and usually range between $10 and $30. If you thought patio furniture was damaging, loose sheds are twice as harmful.

When you’re getting ready for a hurricane, consider both your home and your yard. Outdoor debris will damage your home more than strong winds and heavy rain alone.

• Turn off the power. If your garage door is automatic, shut the power off.

• Make a base. Install a piece of plywood at the bottom of your garage door. This will act as a base for your hurricane braces. Screw it into your concrete floor, about 1 ¼ inches deep.

• Extend the top ledge of your garage. Take two additional two by fours and make an “L” shape at the upper corners of your garage – this will extend the top ledge. Nail them in place with a hammer, and make sure they align with your hinges.

• Attach the plywood. Take another piece of plywood and attach it to the upper lip of your garage door to make a “T” shape.

• Connect your braces. Cut your plywood boards to the length of your garage door and screw them together, connecting the top two pieces to the bottom.

• Attach brackets. Secure steel brackets to the vertical plywood boards, attaching them at every hinge.

During tropical storms, your garage can act as a pressure-cooker, putting other parts of the home at risk. By bracing your garage door, you’ll have a safer, fully stormproof house.

• Take measurements. Measure your window frames.

• Get your materials. Buy hurricane shutters or sheets of plywood for each of your windows.

• Cut the plywood. If using plywood, cut it to size. (Each shutter should overlap your window frame by four inches.)

• Locate your window studs. Find your window studs from the inside of your home.

• Determine glass thickness. Measure the thickness of your window glass from the edge to the stud. Take these measurements to your home’s exterior.

• Install the shutters. Have a friend or family member hold the shutters in place, and drill a wooden screw into each stud.

Storm-proofing windows is usually first on a homeowner’s hurricane house prep checklist. By doing this, you’ll protect your home against wind, heavy rainfall and trees that pose a falling risk.