Protect your home from wind damage

“In like a lion, out like a lamb.” As the old adage says, the month of March can be blustery. And while it may be a great time to bring the kites out of the attic, extreme winds can damage your home if it’s not properly protected.

There are lots of things you can do to make your home more wind-resistant, but homeowners should remember that nothing replaces authentic materials and good, old-fashioned craftsmanship.”

Improve Your Roofing’s Performance

Your roof, and the deck beneath it, form one of your home’s most critical shields to wind and rain. Unfortunately, during high windstorms, it is often the first to be damaged. Loss of roof covering such as shingles, tiles or metal panes can make your home more susceptible to water damage. Loose roofing becomes wind-borne projectiles that can cause further damage to other structures.

Luckily, roofing products with high-wind resistance are available and a variety of installation techniques can be used on both new and existing homes to help protect against wind damage.

Roofing underlayments, high performance shingles, even effective attic ventilation can all increase wind resistance. To withstand occasional or sustained high winds, it is critical that all shingles are properly installed according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Protect Your Home’s Exterior

The exterior doors and windows of your home act as its protective shell. If broken, high winds can enter, putting pressure on your roof and walls. Solid wood or hollow metal doors better resist wind pressure and flying debris. Resistance is also increased by doors with at least three hinges and a deadbolt security lock with a minimum bolt throw of 1 inch. If you have double entry doors, install head and foot bolts on the inactive door. And since double-entry doors fail when surface bolts break at the header trim or threshold, check connections at both places. Surface bolts should extend through the door head and the threshold into the sub-floor.

Research shows that new advances in vinyl siding can also protect your home’s exterior. Products on the market now include siding that resists winds up to 250 miles per hour.

Brace Garage Doors

Garage doors can be especially at risk during high winds. Winds may force it out of its roller track—especially if the track is light weight or some of the anchor bolts are not in place. This occurs because the door deflects too much under excessive wind pressure and fails.

If you are building a new home, consider installing horizontally braced, singlewide garage doors as an alternative to double overhead doors. Check with your garage door manufacturer about retrofit bracing kits for existing homes. Some door panels, particularly those that are doublewide, may require both horizontal and vertical bracing for best stability.

Landscape a Great Shield

Properly selected and placed landscaping can provide excellent wind protection for your home. Evergreen trees and shrubs planted to the north and northwest of your home are common windbreaks and can reduce wind speed for a distance of as much as 30 times the windbreak’s height. For maximum protection, plant your windbreaks at a distance from your house two-to-five times the height of the trees at maturity.

Remember, all wind isn’t bad when it comes to your landscaping. Mild to moderate winds can make trees grow stronger, promote better air circulation around your plants, help minimize fungal diseases and of course, pollinate many of your plants.

Annual Premier Home Show

With the arrival of Spring just around the corner, plan to join the Spokane Home Builders and sponsors Comcast, Global Credit Union and Washington Trust at the annual Premier Home Show at the Spokane County Fair & Expo Center April 21-23. Come and see what’s new and exciting on the market to spruce up your home, and talk with industry experts.

If you’re building a new home, contemplating a remodeling project, or just have a small improvement project in mind, you’ll be inspired by all of the great products and services on display at the Premier Home Show. For additional details, please contact the Spokane Home Builders Association at (509) 532-4990.