Hurricane Season Preparation And Maintenance

Whether your area is deep within hurricane territory or subject to a few random, powerful storm, you'll need to evaluate your storm preparedness plan. Planning is more than just putting boards over windows. You need to know what to do when the defenses fail during the storm and how to rebuild efficiently after the storm passes. Don't let disaster be your reason for slow progress; take the time to understand what to do throughout the hurricane preparedness process from storm warning to aftermath.

Please Stop Taping Your Windows

One mistake in hurricane preparedness can be difficult to get rid of. In an attempt to keep all glass together in the event of a window shattering, many people tape their windows when hurricanes are near. To understand why it doesn't work, you need to understand the reasoning behind it.

In theory, you could cover the window with enough tape to keep a lot of the glass shards together. When debris hits the window, the theory is that any broken pieces will be stuck to the tape and less likely to become tiny, sharp projectiles.

The problem is that you'd need a lot of tape--enough tape that could be ignored in favor of wood boards or investing in hurricane-grade shutters. In many cases, hurricane-preparing residents are told to at least create a cross or an X across the window. This advice is even worse, as the insufficient tape keeps the glass together in larger shards that are even more dangerous than ignoring tape completely.

Demonstrations of the window-taping myth have been tested on news reports, and although there are some brands of hurricane tape that can provide more protection, move to nailing boards over the windows instead. If you absolutely must tape, do so after using boards over the windows.

Repairs And Cleanup After Damage

During the storm, you may see the damage happen as it occurs. Don't rush towards the damage in an attempt to fix it or block the opening; get away from the damaged area and seek shelter in a place without windows. Putting up another form of defense isn't worth the split second necessary for another piece of debris to injure or kill you.

After the storm, glass cleanup may be a long and arduous task. Don't assume that all glass shards are large or small based on sight along; there could be tiny shards embedded in carpet or sent into wood or drywall by sheer force, which may be unnoticed until someone walks across it.

Instead, contact a broken glass repair team, such as Griggs & Son Glass & Mirror. With their expertise and the assistance of a cleanup crew, your home can be swept for damage and debris, then refitted with new windows. Just to be safe, ask for hurricane-safe windows and hurricane shutters. You might as well be prepared as long as the work is being done.

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