Natural disasters don’t choose their targets; they just happen. However, our homes and lives are the ones most impacted by natural disasters.
Before one occurs, it’s best that we take the necessary precautions to prevent it. However, there are tons of natural disasters that can strike at any moment. When this happens, we have very little to intervene and it’s mostly damaging limitations by that point.
But there are ways to protect your home from natural disasters. We are going to be talking about that in this article and get into lengthier details regarding the best ones.
1. Bolt the House to the Foundation
The first thing you should do as a homeowner is to make sure to have your house bolted to its foundation. Earthquakes, tsunamis, and tornados are some of the worst things that can happen to your home.
But, the thing here is that each and every single one of them has the potential to completely separate your home from its foundations. So, take the necessary precautions and hire a professional to bold your home to its foundation.
2. Place Moistened Towels At Your Front Door
As it currently stands, there are more than 165 active volcanoes throughout the United States. A lot of people live in close proximity to a volcano and it can sometimes be a frightening thought of one erupting.
However, god forbid, one does, then you’re in grave danger. Not only that, but your house is at risk of completely burning down. But, as with all things, there is a way to combat and even prevent that from ever materializing.
Namely, the cure comes in the form of moistened towels which are essentially ordinary towels soaked in liquid. But how does a wet towel help you? Well, your front doors and small entry areas as prime examples of how blown lava and ash could enter your home. Simply take a couple of towels and place them in front of your front door.
If you want to be completely safe during such a terrible natural disaster, then completely surround your house with moistened towels.
3. Support Cripple Walls
Cripple walls are the weakest walls of our houses. These are the walls that can be found beneath the first floor of your home; in the small crawl space.
If an earthquake strikes, these walls will be the first ones to give up since they’re very weak. But the thing with these walls is that if they give up on your house, then you’re in big trouble.
So, to prevent this natural disaster from ever affecting your home, make sure to support them by nailing a few boards.
4. Install Backflow Valves
Floods are some of the most common natural disasters that can affect a home and its inhabitants.
When a flood occurs, the city sewerage gets overwhelmed with water that, at some point, will start pushing it upwards through the sewer lines of each home.
When this happens, it results in sewer water coming out of your toilette and any other connection to the sewer. As you all know, sewerage can become a very real and dangerous health hazard.
But there is a way to prevent this problem, and that is by installing backflow valves that effectively block any upwards rising sewer water.
5. Install Lightning Suppressors
Lightning suppressors are very common electronics devices that can be installed on your home’s roof.
These are often referred to as EMP suppressors as they are effectively blocking lightning from ever striking your house. The way these operate is by offering 100% protection against lightning during a storm.
As you all know, lightning has the potential to set things on fire. Some of the Australian bush fires were caused by intense lightning strikes in a particular area.
So, to prevent lighting from damaging your house, make sure to install a lightning suppressor. You can visit capitolelectronics.com for more information regarding these devices.
6. Trim Trees Down
Trees are the first ones that fall when a heavy storm occurs. Big trees can fall on your home, your car, and god forbid, potentially harm or even kill you.
A great and common practice is to trim down the big branches of trees before a heavy storm hits your city. This is done because heavy winds can snap a branch and throw it in a random direction; potentially making it a dangerous projectile.
The best way to protect the roof, windows, and exterior walls of your home is to trim down the branches.
7. Reinforce Windows and Doors
Hurricanes and heavy storms plague the United States almost every year. Because of that, people need to know how to protect their homes from these devastating natural disasters.
One thing you should definitely do is reinforce your windows and doors so they can withstand the strength of these winds. This is a temporary solution that can offer you so much when natural disasters strike.
By simply boarding up your windows and doors with plywood you’re making sure that nothing comes in. However, if you want to go down the optimal route, then make sure to install specific doors and windows that are built to withstand the devastating powers of tornados.
8. Use Fire-Resistant Material For Your Home
If you happened to be living in an area of the world where wildfires are very common (we’re looking at you Australia) then consider adding extra layers of fire-resistant materials to your home’s exterior.
There are many things to use to prevent wildfires from burning down your house. One example is to use clay tiles for your roof, metal tiles or stone.
Wood-made window frames are also very prone to catching fire, so consider replacing them with steel. Literary every part of your home that has anything made out of wood can be replaced with another material that offers resistance to wildfires.
This is an important thing as a wildfire is probably the only thing that comes unannounced and spreads super fast. The wildfires in Australia are said to be spreading at a rate of 60 km per hour.
