Severe weather can damage your home in several key areas. Spring storms, strong winds and tornadoes can produce incredible wind power which can punish your home. This wind can rip off roofs, blow off siding, impact from debris can shatter windows. Water can damage your home from flooding during springs heavy rainfall. Even a homes walls can cave in due to wind pressure. The homes foundation itself is also vulnerable to severe weather. If the roof leaks, the walls of the home can also take water damage, this is very dangerous, especially if the walls are made of plaster or wallboard, as this material is heavy and dangerous. Other potential damage areas are gas lines leading to the home, porch roofs and any overhangs supports.
Water damage can ruin a home. Water is one of the most destructive forces in nature. This damage can be from flooding or from rain water getting through the roof. Flooding from a storm can happen not just from rain water seeping in through the basement walls, but also from sewers becoming over flooded causing the water backing into your home. A back flow prevention system being installed on your property can help to prevent this damage. Make sure your drains, culverts, downspouts and gutters are not clogged, that they are open and free of debris, so that water is channeled away from your home. Test your sump pump to make sure it is functioning as it should by dumping a few gallons of water into it. The sump pump should turn on and remove the water quickly then shut off, if it does not there is an issue at hand. If your sump pump operates often make sure you have a battery back up system for your sump pump that will operate during a loss of power. Storms during spring often cause power failure, and having a sump pump does you no good if the sump pump cannot operate!
Wind and hail damage can also ruin your home during spring. Hail can shred roof coverings which can lead to water damage to your ceilings, walls, floors. Does your home have an impact resistant roof? If your singles are class 4 rated by Underwriters Laboratories 2218 standard, they will not crack if hit twice in the same location by up to a two inch steel ball bearing. If you have landscaping, avoid loose stone material. The windows of your home should be impact-resistant, a side benefit of these windows is that they are often energy efficient as well, so this is one area a home owner may consider investing in. Make sure your walls joints are able to withstand high winds, if you are unable to determine this, a design professional can test this. If the joints need work they can be retrofitted. If your home has more than one story, make sure that the upper story wall framing is securely connected to the lower framing of your home. Also anchoring your roof to the walls with metal clips and straps will help to prevent wind damage to your roof.