Friday, December 31, 2021

What You Can Do To Protect Your Home Against Natural Disasters

 

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From time to time, natural disasters strike. It is the way of the world. However, when they do, it can set you back. They damage your property and leave you worse off than you were before. 


In this post, we look at some of the things that you can do to protect your home against natural disasters and escape the majority of the damage. 


Build A Safe Room


A safe room is a specifical room in your home, usually in the middle of the property, that’s stronger than the others. These rooms do not have any windows and only a single door. The structure is a combination of wood panelling and sheet metal. The metal helps to reinforce the room, making it more resistant to flying objects, debris and collapse of the surrounding building in extreme circumstances. 


Safe rooms are your best option during high winds and hurricanes. They will remain standing, even when the rest of the building falls apart. They are particularly valuable in wooden homes that face annihilation during storms. 


Elevate Your Furniture


While a water restoration company can get rid of mold and help to rid your house of excess moisture after a flood, they can’t restore damaged furniture. Once it gets wet and mixes with dirty water, it is hard to recover. 


The way around this problem is to either move furniture to higher ground or elevate it by placing it in your upper floors. As soon as you hear of a risk of flooding begin moving furniture from downstairs to upstairs. 


Start with your most valuable items first and then work your way down. Usually, if a flood is imminent, you have a couple of hours to take action. 


Plan For Pets


During a crisis, it can be difficult to know what to do with pets. The best option is to send them to storm shelters. Allowing them to roam free is dangerous, but so too is putting them in a cage. 


Prepare Your Insurance Documents And Keep Them Safe


If you have home insurance that protects you in the event of a natural disaster, be sure to keep any associated documents safe. You don’t want to lose vital information about your policies because flood waters swept them away. 


Unplug All Your Electrical Appliances And Switch Off The Supply To Your Home


During a storm, you are much more likely to face a power surge. Downed trees and interruptions to electricity production can create spikes in electrical output. 


It’s a good policy, therefore, to switch everything off at the mains to your home. You’ll also want to unplug any sensitive equipment directly, just in case. 


Turn Your Refrigerator Down


In the run-up to the storm, turn your refrigerator and freezer to their lowest settings so that they are as cold as possible. Doing this will help to keep your food fresh, even if you are without power for a while. Place ice blocks in your refrigerator to keep it cool for a couple of days, without having to rely on the compressor. 


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