When there’s a threat of a hurricane in your area, home and business owners fear the property damage that can be done. One of the potential sources of damage during a hurricane is the water from the heavy rainfall and rising sea levels. When water damage occurs, it can lead to structural damage and even mold growth, which can cause structural damage of its own. To limit the potential for hurricane damage, people choose to invest in impact doors and windows for their homes and business, hoping it that the extra layer of protection when such a natural disaster strikes minimizes the harm done.

Hurricane windows and doors are stronger than their standard counterparts, making them better able to hold up against the powerful forces present when there’s a hurricane. They can take on more force, such as the high-speed winds that hurricanes present, and resist greater amounts of water. However, having impact doors and windows does not mean they are waterproof. Rather, they’re just water-resistant — as are other windows. The mere ability to open and close a window means some water passes through the water-resistant weather strips and gaskets. This allows water to reach the frame before draining back out.

Knowing this, impact windows and doors will not keep water out of your property, but this doesn’t mean you can’t take additional actions to keep the water out. If you’re in an area prone to hurricanes, you will definitely want to take the extra measures to waterproof your impact doors and windows.

Continue reading if you want to learn more about how you can waterproof your home or business’s impact windows and doors.

1. Seal Cracks, Gaps, and Other Openings

Whether they appear as a result of regular wear and tear or due to weather-related events, cracks, gaps, and other openings are commonly found around windowsills. These are easy ways for water to enter your property and cause damage. Knowing this, it’s important that you take the time to seal up these holes with caulk.

2. Install Flashing

When two different building materials meet, they don’t always meet up perfectly. There can sometimes be a slit or a gap in between them, because they don’t fit well together. This gap in between the two materials acts as a place where water can pass through and reach your property’s interior. You can prevent this from happening by installing flashing wherever two different building materials meet.

Flashing is a thin piece of waterproof metal that you can install around your windows and doors. By installing flashing at such spots, the metal piece will cover up the openings, prevent water from passing through where the materials meet, and redirect the water elsewhere.

3. Add Shutters to Your Property

If you don’t already have shutters for your windows, you should spend the money and time to install them. They do much more than provide security and control the light that enters your property. Shutters will add an extra layer of protection for your windows against a hurricane and its effects. They also act as another layer that water will need to get through before reaching your windows and the interior of your property.

Preparing for a Hurricane

Anyone who lives in hurricane-prone areas know just how destructive of a force hurricanes are, which makes it crucial to prepare yourself and your property for the natural disaster. In addition to the high-speed winds that — at the least — are 74 miles per hour, hurricanes also bring a significant amount of water to the land through rising sea levels and heavy rainfall. Because of this, your home, business, or building can suffer severe water damage. You can minimize the amount of water damage if you take the necessary steps, such as waterproofing your hurricane impact doors and windows.

HURRICANE IMPACT RATED WINDOW

While it is important to waterproof your doors and windows, you first need to purchase and install the highest rated hurricane impact windows to ensure your business property has the best protection against a hurricane. Window waterproofing isn’t particularly helpful if your windows cannot withstand the powerful forces of a hurricane, because then your home or business is susceptible to more than just water damage, but also the harm caused by strong winds and debris.

Don’t settle for just any hurricane windows, though. The higher the design pressure rating a window has, the more water resistant it is, decreasing the chance for any water leaking. While it may cost you more money, it will be worth it when you don’t need to spend money on restoration work, so you’ll save money in the long run.

Knowing all this, don’t wait for a hurricane to be near to prepare your home or business for impending damage. Be proactive, make sure you install hurricane impact rated windows if you don’t already have them, and waterproof your doors and windows before a storm is on its way.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.