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This can be a very volatile time of year for Delaware and the Tri-State area and storm damage to your home can happen at any time. This is the time of year where the skies can be vibrant blue with fluffy white clouds one moment and suddenly darken with ominous black threatening clouds the next.

Driving home from work yesterday, I experienced a variety of weather conditions. The glaring sun and blue sky called for a rapid search for my sunglasses so that I could make my way through the parking lot to my car.

Then a lovely spring shower began to sprinkle the windshield with small sparkling drops of water, which eventually turned into a soft downpour that merited turning on the intermittent windshield wipers. In my rear view mirror, I could see the beginnings of a full fledged rainbow.

Looking at the heavy darkened clouds in front of me, I knew that what lay ahead. And sure enough, that soft downpour turned into a deluge of sideways rain pelting the windshield at a rapid pace that merited using the wipers at full speed and a slow down in pace, as visibility was now impaired. Leaves, trash, and a mix of I don’t know what were also pelting my vehicle. Then little pieces of hail began to bounce off the windshield and body of my car.

I’m sure this is an experience all of you have had. At times, the hail is large enough to actually dent vehicles or crack windshields. As a homeowner, we all should be aware that these natural occurrences have a multitude of ways of causing major storm damage to our homes.

A huge thunderstorm with damaging hail and high winds can cause storm damage to your home, especially the roof, windows and siding. These storms seem to barrel through the Tri-State area on a pretty regular basis and being prepared can make a big difference. By following the three tips below, you could prevent the need for costly repairs.

3 KEYS TO PROTECTING YOUR HOME FROM STORM DAMAGE:

1. Protect your windows & siding from wind!  Secure all loose outdoor furniture to prevent it from becoming airborne during high winds and potentially damaging your glass windows and doors and any type of siding material.  If you have crank-out or “casement” window, close them before the wind picks up and bends the hinges.  An ounce of prevention is worth a long expensive list of repairs!
2. Get your roof & siding repairs done!  If your first line of defense from rain isn’t properly performing, you will most certainly regret it after a wind-driven rain.  Even brand new, properly installed roofs can leak during hard wind-driven rain, if the water finds the right angles.  If your roof has a gaping hole or missing/damaged shingles, get them repaired ASAP!
3. Keep your gutters and downspouts clean!  We cannot emphasize this enough.  Gutters (and don’t forget your downspouts) perform best at channeling water away from your home only when they are free of debris.  Something as tiny as a small stick can cause a lot of damage if it is creating a leaf dam in your water diversion system.  If you live in an area that is heavily wooded or just causes your gutters to collect debris often, you should seriously consider installing some form of gutter guard or gutter protection system.  Overflowing gutters can cause water to backup along your roof, soffit, windows, and even your home’s foundation, potentially creating a serious basement water issue!

Ferris Home Improvements can help get your home in tip top shape so that it can weather this season’s storms. Please get in touch if you need any help with storm damage repairs, we can handle roof repairs, gutter clean-out or replacement, siding repair or window replacement. We’ll get you in good shape for all the storms to come!

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