Homeowners must stabilize their homes’ roofing, windows, and doors in preparation for a storm. While doing so won’t prevent total damage, it can reduce the expenses of from cleaning the mess left behind by a natural calamity.
The average rate of disaster cleanup in Salt Lake City costs around $2,150, but you won’t likely have to pay that much when you have a storm-proof house. Insured residents should also contact their insurance provider to find out if cleanup costs are covered under their policies. Fallen trees, flying branches, and flooding comprise some of the significant risks during a storm, so make sure your insurance covers any damage arising from the three causes.
How to Protect Your House
You need to know the structure of your roof and its materials before you can think of a storm-proofing solution. If you installed a gabled roof, it needs to have enough braces at the gable end and trusses for reinforcement. You can hire a contractor to add galvanized straps to evenly distribute the force of wind drafts within the roof, walls, flooring, and foundation.
Residents in a fire-prone area should install asphalt shingles instead of ceramic tiles. Flying cinders from a forest fire can easily damage tiled roofing. It might be necessary to cut trees and remove bushes to prevent the wildfire from spreading and hitting your house.
Windows are just as vulnerable to damage as roofing. You can create makeshift storm shutters from plywood, or buy modern ones for sale at the local home depot. Some variants have impact-resistant glass for better protection. Storm doors are another solution for keeping them safe from heavy wind. You can further stabilize doors by adding horizontal braces, especially for the garage.
Does Your Insurance Offer Enough Coverage?
Homeowners in a firestorm- or hurricane-prone area often need more than one insurance policy for damages. If your home’s market value exceeds $250,000, it’s ideal to have coverage for flood insurance and excess flood insurance under the National Flood Insurance Program.
Flooding can also cause sewage backup, so consider adding this to your policy as well. Remember that your actual coverage will depend on where you live in Salt Lake City. You need to review your policy and find out the deductibles, exclusions, inclusions, and payment limits.
The Cost of Cleaning Up
Water damage becomes the top concern of homeowners after a storm. The typical cost of restoration work in Salt Lake County may range between $660 and $4,715. Those who hire a general contractor may have to pay at least $257 for extra fees.
Don’t just hire any handyman to do the work. Contact at least three licensed damage restoration companies for a better comparison of rates.
In the end, natural calamities will always inflict damage to properties even with the necessary preparations, but that doesn’t mean you should stand by while a storm destroys your house. Disaster cleanup for storm-proof properties is more likely to be cheaper, which should be your motivation for stabilizing your home.
