A home is an important investment. It is expensive, and you will spend many years of your life paying it off. Because this is one of the largest purchases that you will make in your life, you really need to take every step possible to protect your investment. In warmer areas, such as Florida; homes can be at risk of large wind and hurricane damage. Many people prefer living in these warmer areas to prevent long, cold winters; but what are some ways that home damage can be prevented from hurricane wind damage?
In hurricane prone states, your homes exterior should be wind and hurricane proof. It should be built out of extremely durable and strong materials. The windows and doors should also be hurricane proof, as high winds can easily break out windows. A broken out window will cause even more damage, by flooding and ruining the interior of the home, as well. The three main options to consider for hurricane resistant windows are aluminum, vinyl and wood. All of these materials can be used in the design of your air sealing windows and doors.
You should only work with a professional and a qualified home business that is familiar with hurricane resistant windows and doors. An impact resistant window has advanced to the point where they are thoroughly tested to withstand Category 5 wind conditions. A qualified contractor will be able to provide you with the best recommendations for the most durable and wind resistant windows.
Wind and hurricane resistant windows and doors also provide additional benefits to the home. Many of these windows are also energy efficient, because in order to keep the damaging wind and waters out of the home; they must also keep the very warm temperatures out. Energy star qualified windows can lower your energy bills by 7 to 15%. This will help with the costs of the windows, making them even more worth it.
The hurricane resistant and energy star windows and doors can also be customized to fit in with the decor of your home. For example, a French door can be built with hurricane resistant materials, and can also be energy efficient, providing many benefits to the homeowners.
Choosing to live in a warmer climate may be an easy decision for many people. However, although the weather is nicer in comparison to cold snow; these states are also prone to hurricanes, which can be very damaging to homes. Since a home is a large investment, everything possible needs to be done to prevent damage from hurricanes and high winds. Windows and door can be designed to still match the look of the home, while also being very resistant to the damaging effects of high winds. An additional benefit to these wind resistant windows and doors is that they are also often energy star efficient, which will save you money on your utility bills, by lowering your cooling needs.