How to Secure Your Home Before You Evacuate

When a hurricane approaches, some families will stay but some will evacuate. If you are going to evacuate there are a few things to keep in mind so that your property is safe. In this article, I will be discussing some protocols that will help homeowners feel at peace when separated from their property during a disaster.

Before securing your home make sure to read up on your insurance policy, take pictures around your house which will help you with your claims. Also, make sure the vehicle you are going to be evacuating is reliable and gassed up. Most gas stations will be out since everyone is in chaos.

Unplug all of your appliances like microwaves, refrigerators, fans, and electronics. Try to either eat or throw away food from your refrigerator so your house doesn’t end up smelling rotten when you get back from evacuating.

Clean up around your yard and move all potential debris objects indoors so there is a lesser chance one comes striking through your window. Examples of this can be patio furniture, bicycles, trampolines, etc. Move cars that won’t be evacuated in a safe location away from any trees or power lines.

If the hurricane is really bad, move all valuables to a higher location, if you are in a two-story home move valuable electronics, documents, furniture, etc to the top floor.

Now that all debris is taken care of, it is time to secure your property. You can do this by deploying hurricane shutters. There are four main types of shutters; aluminum storm panels, accordion shutters, Bahama shutters, and roll-up shutters. Each of them come with their own pros and cons.

Aluminum storm panels are the most common and come with every house in Florida. These can be pretty heavy and time-consuming to deploy so make sure you plan out a day ahead of time to make sure you beat the storm. They are the most economical way to protect your property but are the most time-consuming. Make sure when deploying your storm panels to wear gloves because the panels are very sharp and cut easily therefore it is a good idea to upgrade to accordion shutters.

Accordion shutters are a middle ground option providing maximum protection and are very asy to use. The reason that they are easy to deploy is that they move on a railing system that you pull shut and lock with a key. These are a cheaper option than Bahama shutters and roll-ups therefore many people who are looking to upgrade their storm panels go with accordion shutters. Johnson Aluminum Products make these with .050 aluminum and deploy within seconds with little work. When it is hurricane offseason, accordion shutters can pull open allowing you to see clearly out the window.

Bahama shutters also make a great option because they add an aesthetic look to your house that many people enjoy giving off a tropical vibe. Not all hurricane protection has to be ugly, Bahama shutters and colonials add beauty to every property. These are easily deployed because of the top-hinge design pulling close. Bahama shutters can also save you money on the electric bill by providing shade and privacy keeping your house cooler. With Florida being so hot year-round this could be a great option.

By far the easiest option is the roll-up shutters. This is because the roll-ups are powered by an electric motor deploying four windows at a time with the touch of a button on a wireless remote. This is an expensive option but since hurricanes are always going to impact Florida, you might as well make the investment. If the power is to go out in your house and your shutters haven’t been deployed, no need to worry there is a hand crank that you can use to secure your property with ease. The roll-ups are so easy to use, you can deploy them with the wireless remote inside or outside your property giving you the peace of mind you deserve.

Now that you have fully secured the exterior of your property, you are almost ready to finally evacuate. The last thing to do before evacuation is to turn off your utilities. Once this is done, you are ready to depart from your house with full confidence.

If you are in the market for hurricane protection like; accordion shutters, hurricane storm panels, Bahama shutters, or roll-ups give us a call at (321)956-3102 we would love to set up an appointment for a Free Estimate. We proudly serve all of Brevard County and Indian River County in cities like; Melbourne, Palm Bay, Viera, Vero Beach, Sebastian, Fellsmere, etc.