Prepping Homes for Hurricane Season

By GCP Applied Technologies.

It is not too late: four steps your customers can take to prepare their home.

Editor's note: Share this important information with your customers to help them be ready for the next hurricane. 

We are in the midst of the hurricane season. There is still time to prepare your home for what Mother Nature is yet to bring.

The Atlantic hurricane season takes place each year from June 1 to November 30, with maximum activity in early to mid-September. Hurricane hazards come in many forms, including storm surges, high winds, tornadoes, and flooding. It is imperative for families, businesses, and communities alike to have a plan that prepares for all of these threats.

So, how do homeowners residing in vulnerable areas best prepare their homes to seal out hurricane damage this season? The first piece of good news is that building supply companies are continuing to innovate and manufacture new products that can help keep people and their homes safe during a hurricane. The second piece of good news is that there are simple steps you can take to reduce your home’s risk of damage before a hurricane or any intense storm strikes.

First off, as a homeowner, it is essential that you take action BEFORE a storm, not after.

Understand Your Roof and its Warranty

Read your roof’s construction and warranty paperwork. Understanding how your roof has been constructed is the first step to evaluate its current condition and determine if repairs or upgrades are required. Understanding the terms and conditions of your warranties may prevent you from making changes that will void the warranty.

Find a Pro

Identify reliable, knowledgeable professionals that can perform work safely. It’s best that all inspections, maintenance and repairs are completed by trained and experienced people. You should demand that they use high quality materials. The amount of money you can save by selecting less expensive lower quality products is insignificant compared to the damage caused by water infiltration.

You should find a trusted building professional to prepare your roof for future storms and keep your wallet and home safe from storm damage.

Inspect

Look for potential problems on the roof. Loose or curled shingles, broken or missing tiles all warrant repair. Also inspect the flashing, drainage system and accessories such as vents and skylights. Ask a trained roofing professional if further reinforcements to the roof structure, such as additional fasteners or hurricane clips are required.

Beyond the roof, a home’s doors and windows can also become major leak zones. Most commonly, this is due to breakage of windows due to flying debris. However, even if the windows and doors are well shuttered, wind-driven rain can be blown into the house at these points, especially if they have not been properly flashed and weatherproofed.

Signs of water damage

• Leaks or breaks in seams around window trim and sills
• Uneven doorframes
• Discolored plasterboard
• Peeling wallpaper
• Chipped or cracked stucco finishes
• Mold, mildew, or rot in the walls, insulation, and electrical systems
• Missing, cracked, or blistered paint inside the home

Use the Right Products

If repairs are needed, don’t skimp on quality to save a few cents. Much of the damage associated with hurricanes and other serious storms results from water entering the home when roof coverings or siding is blown off. This is why it is imperative that you have a secondary layer of waterproofing protection underneath the shingles and siding. If proper protection measures are not taken, the resulting leaks can cause interior damage, as well as potential causes of rot and mold. Rot and mold can lead to major structural damage and potential health problems for homeowners.

The Roof

FEMA has published recommendations for the use of fully-adhered roofing underlayments as an enhanced secondary water barrier for homes in both coastal and inland hurricane-prone areas. To ensure quality roof protection, contractrors have relied on GRACE ICE & WATER SHIELD® fully-adhered roofing underlayment from GCP Applied Technologies for almost 40 years. It provides premium performance as it seals to itself at overlaps, seals to the roof deck and, most importantly, seals around the fasteners used to attach the shingles. All these features help prevent water from leaking into your home. In the event roof coverings are blown off or water manages to get underneath your shingles, these underlayments are the key to preventing water infiltration.

Windows, Doors and More

Flexible flashings such as VYCOR® PLUS and VYCOR® PRO membranes can be used to seal windows, doors, corners, and other non-roof detail areas. When integrated with housewrap, or a self-adhered weather barrier, such as VYCOR ENV-S® membrane, these products are designed to form a watertight and airtight seal with building materials; thus, such materials help protect your home from water damage and air infiltration.

Original article source: GCP