On average five hurricanes hit the United States coastline every three years, so homeowners in affected areas need to be ready to prepare in order to prevent any storm damage.
One of the most common ways to prepare your home for such an emergency is to prep your windows for potential damage. Whether you’re prepping your home for a hurricane or just some extremely high winds (or even preventing broken windows from getting worse), here are some simple ways you can get the windows done both quickly and safely.
Assess the situation – prep ahead of time
One of the best ways to effectively and quickly prep your windows comes from simply doing so ahead of time – or at least being ready by having a plan in place for the situation when it arises.
While this might be difficult in an emergency situation (such as in the case of a sudden severe thunderstorm with high winds), you’re likely to have significant warning in the event that a hurricane or other major storm is near.
Keeping supplies on hand such as plywood and the appropriate tools (like a ladder, hammer and nails), is important if you’re to avoid going out and scrambling for what you need at last-minute notice.
While the size of plywood sheets you’ll need depends on your windows – as does the installation process – ensuring that you have the right thickness on hand is a necessity. The Federal Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) advises getting plywood with a thickness of at least ⅝ inch thick to ensure your windows are protected from the impact of debris that can be thrown by high force winds.
Making more permanent fixes by installing energy-efficient and high impact windows can also be beneficial – especially if you’re located in climate zones that experience high heat as well as hurricanes, like Southwest Florida.
This kind of window will not only keep high temperatures out, but will prevent damage from high winds and debris at the same time. Installing high-quality storm shutters is another easy and permanent fix that can save your windows from unnecessary damage as well – though when all else fails, plywood is the way to go.
The more the merrier
When it comes to prepping your windows as quickly and safely as possible, there really is safety in numbers. Having at least one other person helping you to do the work will ensure that you get it done twice as fast and will help reduce any safety risks.
This can be especially helpful when it comes to lifting and securing heavy pieces of plywood for larger windows, as team lifting can help to prevent crush injuries or back injuries. A friend can help in keeping the ladder secure as well, and can also help to prevent your plywood from catching the wind as it’s lifted.
Boarding up hurricane broken windows safely
In emergency situations, it’s possible that you might miss the opportunity to board up your window ahead of time before the hurricane or high winds hit. In that case, you may have to board up damaged windows, as doing so can keep vandals out and further damage from occurring (such as water damage from ongoing rain).
In order to board damaged windows safely, it’s important to use the correct equipment, such as protective gear like gloves. Carefully removing and disposing of broken glass should be your next step, followed by taping cracks in windows that are still intact.
After that, you should continue boarding up your broken window with the help of a friend. And, as always, if you have any doubts about boarding up your windows before or after a storm, there is no shame in calling in a professional to handle it.
Preparing for a hurricane by prepping your windows is a daunting task for many. However, by using methods like keeping materials (such as the correct size of plywood and tools) on hand, and having someone help you board up your windows, you’re sure to get the job done as quickly and safely as possible – allowing for maximum protection during any weather emergency.
Having several tarps on hand, along with either sandbags or battens and nails/screws is also a good idea. You can dry in a structure very quickly, although only temporarily, with tarps. Sandbags are good for roof dry in: No point in driving nails and holes into an already damaged roof, unless there is no other way.
with a year or so to prepare (you just moved into a Hurricane prone area) you can prepare your house with metal roof, rafter tie downs, and other hurricane prep items.
Jason, love your emails and wish that I could meet you in person, you are truly a man’s man.i was lived in corpus chtisti, tx for years and lived on padre island, two condos and three different houses.The first thing I would do was to installed ss steel screws with a wing nut on the end, cut plywood with holes plus a small square cut in the middle, label which window it fit. the square cut made the shutters easy to handle and you could also look outside. sold every place including the shutters.