Minimizing Projectile Hazards During Hurricanes
The modern backyard is home to more than just a lawn, one can find all manner of gardening equipment, outdoor furniture, and children’s playgrounds and play sets. These all work to enhance the quality of life of those living in the house. Because of this, we wouldn’t look at any safety risks, until something happens. As a provider of high impact windows West Palm Beach, FL, we understand the impact that projectile hazards can have on you and your property.
Whether you call it a hurricane, a cyclone, or a typhoon, these major tropical storms frequently remind us of our precarious place here on this planet. While the danger of them is more related to the atmospheric pressure they create rather than the debris they throw around, it’s these projectiles which allow the atmospheric shift between the inside and outside of your house to cause all the damage. You can minimize the risk by removing objects from your backyard like trees or anything else that can pose as a threat. Today, we will be discussing how you can minimize projectile hazards during hurricanes
High Impact Windows West Palm Beach, FL and How to Handle Outdoor Furniture During a Hurricane
Living in Florida is somewhat of a catch-22, in that, for most of the year the weather is absolutely perfect, but there is a relatively long hurricane season which impacts the entire state. This great weather prompts most Floridians to invest heavily in outdoor furniture with which they can host their friends, family, or neighbors any time they like.
You don’t need to eliminate your outdoor furniture, but there are safety measures you can take during tumultuous weather conditions.
Store it in Your Garage, Attic, or Shed
If you have the space, it may be wise to store your furniture for the duration of hurricane season. This can ensure that if any freak storms occur you won’t be rushing to store it all, or if you’re out of town for any reason you won’t have to ask for help putting it all away.
If you’ve yet to invest in outdoor furniture or want something more suitable, consider getting lightweight foldable tables and chairs, which are easier to store and transport.
Rent Storage Space
If you don’t have the space to store furniture on your property, look into renting some storage space. Renting storage space may seem costly, but it removes the risk of projectile hazards damaging your home.
Buy Fixed Furniture Or Repairing What You Have
A final option which may only be suitable in particular circumstances is to buy fixed furniture which is either attached to the ground with a foundation, or to fix your current furniture using chains. The latter should be done wisely, and the chain will need to be attached to a concrete foundation or something substantially heavier than the furniture.
Garden Equipment
Generally, much lighter than outdoor furniture, garden equipment should also be stored either on the property or in a rented storage space. Many typical pieces of garden equipment have sharp edges so when these do hit windows or even the outside walls of your building they can cause monumental damage. It’s also important to ensure your garden shed is fixed, stable, and built to withstand high wind speeds, as it can also pose a serious threat to your house.
Trees
Being in the industry of hurricane proof windows in Palm Beach County, we’ve heard countless stories of innocuous trees or branches causing extensive damage. Although, before you go chopping all the trees in your backyard down, you will want to look at which kinds of tree pose a risk and which don’t.
Safer Trees
The University of Florida (UF) has found that the following trees are highly resistant to wind damage:
– Sand live oaks
– Southern magnolia
– Live oak
– Crapemyrtle
– Bald cypress
– Sabal palm
This of course is assuming that the above trees have been properly cared for and maintained over time, with any overgrown branches removed properly.
Risky Trees
On the other end of the spectrum, according to the UF, are these trees:
– Sand pine
– Chinese elm
– Water oak
– Laurel oak
Again, the risk is much higher when these trees are young, not yet established, or overgrown and bearing heavy branches. To read more about UF’s study about trees which can withstand a hurricane, click here.
Children’s Toys, Playsets, Playgrounds, Etc
Finally, all objects no matter how small should be stored away when a hurricane warning comes up. This will include all of your children’s toys and play things, as they may not pose a threat to your house, but we should still try not to litter. Use your common sense with what you deem appropriate to put away, when to do so, and where.
Provider Of High Impact Windows West Palm Beach, FL
Although we don’t literally batten down any hatches nowadays, it’s fair to say that our modern equipment aims to do exactly that. If you’re looking for hurricane proof windows in Palm Beach County look no further than Florida Window Experts. We have years of experience under our belts, and look forward to helping you protect your home, this coming hurricane season. Give us a call today!
