The environment can be quite unpredictable now. Climate change and other damages to nature are causing more and more serious calamities. Even with today’s technology, it’s hard to predict, let alone prevent a natural calamity from hitting. As a homeowner, you need to take the necessary steps to increase your home protection. Here are some steps you can do to weatherproof your home.

Restore damaged structures

Before anything, it is best to fix any existing damages or reinforce compromised structures in your home. Though it can be tempting to leave them for later, this can only get worse over time. If a big natural disaster recently hit you, there might be some parts that need to be reinforced or replaced. Check if your windows and doors are not cracked.

After heavy snow or rainfall, water and moisture may have seeped into your walls and foundation. Make sure to look into water damage fixes because the moisture can cause mold. It can also cause your foundation to weaken because it causes wooden structures to rot. Drywalls may also soften, and stains can appear.

Get a generator

Only three percent of Americans actually have home generators. During a big storm or typhoon, the electricity lines may fall. In these cases, it would be useful to have a backup generator when the power goes out. That way, you can charge your phones to be able to contact emergency hotlines and such. If your security system relies on electricity, this will also come in useful when protecting your family against thieves.

Another thing that happens during a natural calamity is fluctuating voltage. This can cause sparks and problems with electrical appliances. A generator can prevent this because it will do the bulk of the work. Electric generators are also known to last longer than gas generators.

If you can’t afford to have one at the moment, there are also emergency lights that you can place around your home. These would automatically light up when a blackout happens. Although unlike generators, it would only cover certain areas, they also last a fairly long time.

Clean the gutters

Gutters are there to make sure that water is removed and not weighing down on your home. When it accumulates too much in one area, it can damage parts of your room and cause leaks. If neglected, your basement may also flood because the water has no way of getting out.

The best practice is to clear out your gutters and drains twice a year. But if you recently had a hurricane or a storm with heavy wind, you should have them cleaned afterward. That’s because leaves, sticks, and debris can get into the spaces in between and clog them.

Elevate heaters and boilers

If you live in an area that floods, you want to put your water heaters and boilers in raised areas. The flooding can actually damage the structure of the heaters and even contaminate the water. Heaters and boilers that are not firmly secured into place might also tip over and break. This is why you have to put them in a more secure location.

Like the interior, a water heater can also start to corrode in time when exposed to flood water. Oxidation will occur in some parts, and this can result in rusted or compromised parts. In these cases, you would need to either repair or replace the structure entirely.

Install water-resistant walls

As mentioned before, water seeps into the walls can cause structural damage because of the mold and moisture. The mold can also result in health problems when inhaled. Waterproof material can prevent these from happening. It can also prevent leaks and cracks on your wall during a storm. Even concrete is vulnerable to water damages because it becomes cold and cracked over time.

Waterproofing your walls can actually involve different processes. Some households who don’t have much to spare paint the walls with waterproof coating. Others install a silicone membrane for an extra layer of protection. Hydraulic cement can also be put on walls that are already showing some cracks. Several other new technologies are made to prevent exterior walls from being damaged by the rain.

Natural disasters can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage. This is why it is better to minimize damages by making some home improvements. It will take a bit of restructuring and renovating, but this will all be worth it later on. The great thing about these is that they can last for decades if you take care of it.