For most of us, our homes are our biggest investment, and, like any investment, we want to protect them from any potential harm. Unfortunately, nature can sometimes be one of the biggest threats to our property.
From severe weather to wildfires, there are several ways that the forces of nature can damage or destroy our homes. That’s why it’s so important to take steps to protect your property from the forces of nature. Here are a few tips to get you started:
Build a Support Around Your Yard
An eroding soil is the last thing you want in your yard. It will make your backyard slippery, muddy, and laborious to take care of. Thus, building support, such as a retaining wall around your yard, is a good idea because it will help stabilize the soil and stop erosion.
Retaining walls can also be helpful in terms of garden rehabilitation and planting. Moreover, this method is easy and straightforward because it can be made through different materials like stones, blocks, wood, brick, and concrete. Retaining walls help slopes and raised land to maintain the volume of their soil.
Consider Planting
Planting native plants on your property pose several solutions to mitigate the adverse effects of soil erosion. With their deep root system, plants can help stabilize the soil. Aside from erosion control, growing native plants also lessen the dislodged soil because of water runoff from the rain and storm surges.
Plants have always been nature’s counter to these forces. Their complex systems allow them to stabilize, control, and mitigate the effects that these forces bring. Their countless benefits are why you should consider planting in your properties.
Reinforce Your Houses
One cannot become boastful about the strength of their houses as the intensity of these forces is sometimes immeasurable. So, from shifting to impact windows to tightening every screw and bolt, every reinforcement around the house matters.
You should reinforce your houses and properties to protect them from events like storm surges and hurricanes wherein a strong gust of wind is expected to slam into your properties. With this move, you can avoid ruining valuable objects and preserve your property.
Check the Caulking
Before the landfall of a typhoon or tropical storm, you should always examine the caulks and sealants at your houses. Checking the presence of gaps, cracks, breaks, and holes around the house will help you avoid any further damage to your property and ensure the safety of your family.
Refilling these gaps and cracks will help you ensure that there will be no leaks around the house. Rainwater from heavy rainfall or storm surges will easily seep through these gaps. Thus, it is ideal for checking every caulking and the sealed gap in your house.
Elevate Your Base
When designing for any of your property, you should always consider elevating your base to avoid water from coming into your houses. Elevating your properties will mean less hassle for storm-prone areas because you don’t have to move your appliances anymore when water levels start to rise.
As you design your property, you should assess the recent rise of water levels in the area to consider the base elevation. Raising the levels of your houses and properties may be the solution you have been looking for to prevent the water from seeping in.
Inspect Your Landscape
Take a look around! This simple step requires no significant effort, but this is vital significantly when you are aiding soil erosion or expecting a hit from storm surges or hurricanes. Looking around your property is also assessing the status of every corner and checking what else can be done to ensure your safety and protect your houses.
From simply looking at your landscape, you can know the amount of soil dislodged because of the water runoff from the rain, or you can remove loose items outside like branches, furniture, and toys that can endanger your home and family during hurricanes and storm surges.
Learn the Water Flow
You should always check the direction of the water flow to know where you can unclog during heavy rainfall and storm surges. Unclogging your water flow will help you avoid accumulated water in your yard, resulting in soil erosion and land rundowns.
As you learn about your property’s water flow, you should make sure that your gutters and canals are free-flowing during heavy rainfalls or storms and that the downspouts should flow opposite from your foundation. It can avoid water damage and flooding in your property and houses.
Final Thoughts
Prioritizing your safety and preserving your properties should always come to mind during the hit of these forces of nature. Planning for these kinds of events and preparing for their effects is always the best thing to do compared to being complacent and unprepared. It is always better to have a plan and come prepared.
