Are you and our house fully prepared for the upcoming hurricane season? The weather seems to become more and more brutal every year, and the storms are causing more damage and casualties today than they were just a decade ago.
Yes, we have learned to build and protect our buildings, minimizing the dangers during the disaster, but there are still specific "weak points" in every construction that are most hazardous during a hurricane.
Windows might be the most hazardous part of any building in the middle of a natural disaster. Not only are they much weaker than the walls and doors of your house, but once that glass and frame shatter under the pressure of massive rain and furious winds, they create striking elements out of glass, plastic, and wood, becoming particularly dangerous.
In this article, we shall talk about the traditional and innovative ways to protect the windows of your house during the hurricane season and give some essential safety tips that may help you take a new look at the emergency safety of your home.
How do you protect windows during a hurricane?
Before getting down to the actual tips, solutions, and products that you can use to protect the windows of your house or business, let's see what does it mean to preserve the windows in general and what are the DOs and DONTs of this essential safety measure.
Technically, to protect the windows means to place a layer of some sort of protective material between the glass and the objects inside the room. This material should be strong and robust enough to withstand the pressure of shattered glass and frame pieces, as well as the strong wind and precipitation.
We all know that hurricanes usually come hand in hand with floods and until recently, the main goal of window protection was to avoid direct physical damage that a broken window can cause. Water damage has always been considered pretty unfortunate but inevitable during a hurricane season.
Today, there are solutions that can help you protect your windows, avoiding water damage at the same time. But we shall talk about it later.
Hurricane Shutters
Hurricane shutters might be the first thing that comes to mind when we are talking about buildings located in areas historically vulnerable to tropical storms, hurricanes, etc.
There are so many different styles and materials used for hurricane shutters today, from the good old "Colonial shutters" that give your house a certain southern touch and charm to the modern roll-up shutters made out of metal and durable plastic that can be deployed and removed with just one touch of a button.
The principle of those shutters is the same anyway; they protect the windows from strong wind, precipitation as well as debris, and striking elements that can damage them.
The fact that hurricane shutters are the most common and popular solution not only in the United States but worldwide says for itself - these shutters are indeed pretty efficient and might look like the most straightforward solution to protect your house or business.
However, there is one pretty significant flaw in this method - hurricane shutters are not waterproof. But, as we said already, a certain level of water damage is inevitable during a hurricane season. Or is it?
Plywood
Suppose your house has not been constructed to withstand a hurricane, and there are no pre-installed shutters on your windows for some reason. And the storm is approaching fast and inevitably. Plywood will be your #1 solution in this case.
Protecting your windows with plywood boards has its undeniable advantages. First of all, it might be the cheapest and most available solution. Plywood is also flexible and lightweight, which makes it the safest of all temporary window protection materials. However, you cannot consider plywood panels as a long-term solution that will guarantee your safety from hurricane damage for many years. And, of course, water damage still remains inevitable.
Bottom line, if you have no other options, plywood is a pretty reasonable solution. Still, it is best to think about something more permanent and robust for the upcoming years.
Flood Barriers
You might have already heard of flood barriers or flood gates. But until now, people have mostly considered them as protection for doors, gates, and passages during the snowmelt and flooding seasons.
However, flood barriers paper to be extremely efficient when it comes to protecting windows against hurricane damage.
These lightweight constructions are adjustable due to a rubber seal on their perimeter and, therefore, can fit almost any window frame.
The material is extremely durable and can withstand any kind of impact a hurricane would bring to your house.
Last but not least, using flood barriers on your windows as hurricane protection is the only way to prevent water damage as well. It will minimize your losses to disaster even more!
Above everything else, flood barriers are easy to install and remove and don't take much storage place. They can be used for many years as a versatile anti-flooding and impact solution for any part of your house, including the garage and basement.
This makes flood carriers for windows not only a versatile and long-term solution but also a smart investment in your property's safety and value.
Do you want to learn more about modern flood control solutions and ways to protect your house or business from disaster?
Contact Dam Easy Flood Barriers today and discover innovative solutions, essential safety tips, and modern products that will help you stay safe in the face of any natural disaster, protect your house or business and preserve the value of your property.
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