Owning a home comes with many responsibilities. Apart from regular maintenance, homeowners must also create strong resistance against natural calamities. Below is a list of common ways to upgrade your home to make it disaster-proof and increase its value.
Pick proper materials
The materials you pick to build your house will differ based on the recurring natural calamity in your area. Choose impact-resistant materials for the roof in case of hurricanes and hailstorms. Use water-resistant materials for floods, and choose flexible materials if you live in an earthquake-prone area. Insulate your house and walls to battle blizzards or heavy snow, but pick cool roofing to withstand heat waves.
Elevate and reinforce the foundation.
If you live in a hurricane or earthquake-prone area, you should strengthen your foundation to prevent your house from collapsing. Retrofit the foundation with anchor bolts or steel plates to increase structural strength. Elevate your property to avoid flooding if you live in a flood-prone area. They can also prevent mildew and mould formed by the flood water.
Install roofs with good resistance.
Roofs take the worst hit during natural disasters. If not secured properly, they can decay or fly away during hurricanes or tornadoes. They can also break down and damage your family or your belongings. You can fit your roof with hurricane straps or clips so solid wind doesn’t lift it away. Choose impact-resistant materials for the roof to prevent it from decaying fast. “Disasters can damage your home and cause thousands worth of expenditure in repair, and in worst cases, can cause death or personal injury,” according to personal injury lawyers.
Get impact-resistant doors and windows.
Windows and doors take major hits during any natural calamity. Getting impact-resistant doors and windows not only protects you and your valuables but also increases their longevity. There are also other benefits of storm or hurricane-resistant doors and windows.
These doors and windows can also add an extra layer of security as they’re harder to breach. Thus, it also increases the home value.
Secure fences and outdoor objects.
Hurricanes or storms can lift off fences and other outdoor objects. They can also fly into your house and damage walls, windows, or even the people living inside. Use sturdy posts to secure fences and anchor them deep into the ground. Use concrete footing for stability. Steel posts are usually stronger than other common materials.
Create proper drainage
Proper drainage can redirect water away from your house and foundation and increase home value. Install a gutter system around your roofline with adequately functioning downspouts. Attach rain barrels to them to catch the rainwater. French drains can also help drain water. Install a sump pump to drain floodwater from your basement quickly.
Maintain the landscape
This one is necessary if you live in a hurricane or wildfire-prone area. Maintain your landscape and trim all trees and greenery regularly. Clean away all leaves and dead branches, as they can fly to your house and damage the exterior during a storm. Similarly, loose leaves and branches spread fire much faster.
Maintaining the landscape also enhances the aesthetics of your house and can significantly increase the home’s value.
Install a home generator.
This might sound like an optional step, but it’s equally important as the other ones. Power outages are widespread during storms or earthquakes. A home generator can supply electricity and ensure lighting, cooling, or heating during natural disasters. Having this option, thus, can increase home value,
Install fire sprinklers
Install fire sprinklers inside and outside your home – especially if you live in a wildfire-prone area. These sprinklers can quickly help put out fires or help minimise their effects. You can have professional help with the installation, or you can do it yourself, as the process is pretty straightforward.
Elevate electrical systems
Floods can invade your home and cause damage to your electrical system. Elevate your sockets, electrical panels, and wiring above the usual water level to prevent unwanted accidents and damage.
Our house is our biggest shelter. But if not built properly, it can decay and cost us thousands of dollars in repair, or parts of the house can injure or damage our belongings during a natural disaster. Depending on your location, your house will need different safeguards against natural disasters. If your area is more prone to flooding or wildfires, you must create an infrastructure that can withstand the damage. On the flip side, you must take different measurements if you want your house to withstand blizzards or heat waves.
If built correctly, your house will not only protect you from natural calamities but also retain its value and earn you some extra money when you sell it.
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