STORM DAMAGE PREVENTION
De BISAWiki
Storm and flood damage is generally due to natural occurrences such as hurricanes, tornados and hail storms. Many of these are experienced in the summer season and can cause devastating damages to homes and infrastructure. Whereas our mother earth is unpredictable, there are many techniques it's possible to use to prevent storm damage.
Ways to avoid storm damage
1. Trimming the hedges
Keeping all tree branches outside the roof is a sure means of avoiding roof damage. Friction between a leaning branch and the rooftop might cause holes in the event of a wind surge. Additionally it is helpful to cut any weak branches which may disappear.
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2. Keeping the rooftop clear of stagnant water
If this rains, water should certainly shabby the roof from the gutters. If getting older, water stagnates and slowly starts to weaken the roof. Removing fallen leaves in the water pipes will save you a home owner a lot of money doing roof repairs.
3. Keeping a highly ventilated attic
During hail storms, ice accumulates on rooftops and the one thing saving the rooftop from collapsing is the hot air emanating through the attic. If this type of evaporation doesn't happen, it has an imminent chance of water getting into your own home with the shingles. To stop this from happening, you should have a qualified professional come look at the ventilation in your attic before the storm sets in.
4. Seal all openings
Water from storms could get into your home through many openings like the chimneys and skylights. Sealants which have decayed have to be repaired with silicone or tar to avoid water leakages. Window and door sealants may also let water in since they weaken eventually.
5. Protecting utility lines
This is a common occurrence for certain utilities like electricity to be interrupted when storms emerge. This can be as a result of winds weighing recorded on tree branches and entangling all of them with electricity or telephone lines. In order to avoid this, always trim tree branches which are growing towards utility supply lines. Don't forget to reduce weak trees which are swaying precariously near electricity or telephone lines.
Whenever a storm occurs and your home remains intact because of the above techniques, it is now time to access your situation around your property. Trees will be the most unlucky and suffer the brunt of the natural occurrences.
Restoration after storm damage
1. Avoid panicking
Do not start scaling down the trees in panic simply because you think some may fall down later. Over time, you'll know those that must go.
2. Fake experts
Timber is a valuable commodity and there will always emerge some fellows claiming to become tree experts. These 'experts' will require you to let them have permission to reduce the trees and carry the offending articles for research. Try not to be fooled by them.
3. Tending to the rest of the trees
Lastly, employ the expertise of a qualified tree professional. He/she will highlight how to tend your surviving trees and protect them down the road from storm damage.
