Different Exterior Threats And How To Protect Your Home
RH Business Marketing Solutions
Understanding potential threats is the first step to protecting your home and loved ones. From intruders and pests looking to make their way inside to weather and environmental hazards damaging the exterior, homeowners should be aware of these threats and take steps to prevent them.
To help, here are a few words of advice on protecting your home from common exterior threats.
Extreme Weather
Homeowners all across the United States are at risk for property damage from the elements. Of course, the measures needed to safeguard the house depend on the region. For instance, in the Midwest, steps might need to be taken to secure the property during tornado season. These could be serious precautions, such as rolling shutters on the windows or an underground shelter, or could consist of investing in reinforced glass and roof straps.
Midwest residents, along with other regions, frequently face potential damage from strong winds throughout the year. In fact, wind is the leading cause of property damage. Wind is especially treacherous in desert climates since the lack of vegetation cover allows it to blow and kick up debris unimpeded. Homeowners with hazardous wind exposure might better protect their windows from shattering by installing shutters, which are available in a variety of styles, such as accordion, rolling, Bahama or Colonial.
Sun damage is another hazard for those in desert climates. While we mainly think of the sun as dangerous to our skin, it can damage roof shingles, window frames and doorways as well, leaving the structure vulnerable to other destructive elements. Protective measures you could take for repelling harmful UV rays include applying window film, installing awnings, and altering the landscaping with shady trees and moisture-retaining mulch.
Pests
Whether it’s mice in the basement or ants in the kitchen, households everywhere have a run-in with pests from time to time. Some of these are considered more harmful due to health concerns (such as contamination from rodent droppings), while others are more menacing, as they may cause a large amount of damage to the structure, like termites. These irritating little pests rack up billions [SS1] in damage for unsuspecting homeowners each year.
Keeping all manner of pests away often comes down to routine inspections. It’s recommended to monitor the exterior for ways they could get in, such as torn window screens, cracks in the foundation or holes from water damage behind the gutters or under the shingles. When an issue is discovered, it should be repaired promptly and by a professional, depending on severity.
Criminal Activity
Lastly, there’s the safety measures every home should have in place to thwart human intruders. With a burglary occurring every 15 seconds[SS2], it’s more than worth it to invest in a home security system. Starting at the front door — which 34%[SS3] of burglars use when breaking into a home — it’s recommended to install reliable locks, cameras, motion sensors, alarms and security lights. When employed throughout the property, these separate pieces of equipment form a formidable line of defense and act as a strong deterrent for would-be wrongdoers.
Along the same lines is protecting your home from crime by making it less appealing to criminals. Landscaping can be intentionally designed to make accessing an entryway unnoticed difficult. Other preventive methods include performing a nightly lock-up routine. Homeowners are encouraged to perform a check of the property, lock all the vehicles, and ensure windows and garage doors are properly shut and locked every night before bed.
Staying One Step Ahead
It takes work to properly secure and maintain a home. As you continue to research ways to stay ahead of threats, be sure to take advantage of online resources as well as help from your local home protection specialists. Doing so could help you rest easier knowing you’ve effectively protected your home.
Bio: Pavao Slisko is the Marketing Coordinator for Croci North America, a manufacturer of shutters. Pavao was raised in Florida and has seen all types of hurricane damage, creating a passion for products that safeguard properties from disasters.
Resources
https://northeastsecuritysolutions.com/security-threats-homeowners-overlook
https://restorationmasterfinder.com/restoration/protecting-your-desert-home-from-outside-threats