Hurricane Earl Prep Tips for Your Home

Will he or won’t he?  With Hurricane Earl threatening the nation’s Eastern Seaboard this Labor Day, there are steps homeowners can take to weatherproof their homes that won’t break the bank.

 Kiplinger’s Personal Finance offers six pieces of essential hurricane-preparation advice, including: 

• Brace your garage door to prevent more-extensive damage. “A lot of people believe that the roof is the most vulnerable part of the house,” says Ray Stone, vice-president of catastrophe operations for Travelers Insurance. “But it’s not. It’s the garage door.” Most garage doors are not reinforced, and when the wind gets into the garage, it creates a positive push at the same time that the wind swirling above the structure creates a negative pull. That push-pull combination can cause the roof to fly off. See the National Weather Service information sheet to learn about kits that you can buy at home-improvement stores to brace your garage doors.
   
• Secure your windows and doors. Broken windows can let in wind and rain, and they can also increase the pressure under the roof. Storm shutters provide the best protection, but boarding up windows when a storm is on the way can help, too. Don’t bother taping your windows, though. “Putting masking tape on the windows literally does nothing,” says Stone. Make sure doors have several locking mechanisms so they don’t fly open; deadbolts are best. And it’s important to secure windows and doors at all sides of the home — not just the one facing the body of water where hurricanes could form — because hurricanes can swirl in any direction. See the Institute for Business & Home Safety’s DisasterSafety.org for details about how to make your windows and doors more secure.
   
• Take inventory. “The last thing you want to be doing after you’ve been affected by a hurricane is to try to remember everything you had in the house,” says Stone. “Having an inventory will make the process of getting through the claim and getting back to normal so much easier.” The Insurance Information Institute’s KnowYourStuff.org is a great place to get started. Keep the inventory in a safe place away from your home.

Photos of Completed Guest Cottage 30-727

Guest Cottage 30-727
                

This delightful small house plan, makes a relaxing stay for friends and family. Enter through the double doors to the great room with a wood stove in the corner. Towards the rear of the cottage is a kitchenette, perfect for allowing guest to make there own snacks and lunches if they would like. There is also a full bathroom. Ladders on both sides of the great room access the two storage spaces above.
                    

New House Plan: Blue River 30-789

                                                                                  (click photo to view plan details)
                   

Blue River 30-789
                   

This two-story Craftsman bungalow would be equally at home in a suburban neighborhood or a retreat setting. Family living areas fill the main floor, where the living room flows into the dining room and on into the kitchen. All of these spaces are naturally bright. A good-sized hobby room and a fully outfitted utility room are nearby.
                    

New House Plan: Belknap 30-771

                                                                                    (click image to view plan details)
              

Belknap 30-771
                   

Craftsman detailing adds nostalgic charm to this update of a country-style cottage house plan. On the ground floor, spacious formal and informal gathering spaces fill the left wing. A den, utility room, half bath, and luxurious owners’ suite are on the right side, along with direct access to the garage. Three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study are upstairs.

New House Plan: Canyonville 30-775

                                                                             (click image to view plan details)
                   

Canyonville 30-775
                   

Windows fill most of the rear wall of the vaulted great room at the heart of this comfortably spacious European-style house plan. From the kitchen, you can watch TV or converse with family and friends in the great room, or the dining room. Extra rooms include: a guest room and a hobby room on the main floor, and a den and an unfinished bonus room upstairs.