It falls on the homeowner to ensure their home is covered under insurance and protected from the impact of intense weather conditions. While safeguarding your home, ensure you check on the exterior and that everything’s fixed and replaced if needed. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to protect your beachfront Florida home.
What Are the First Signs of Damage?
The first signs of damage indicate that you need to pay attention to how your home changes throughout the years. In many cases, the foundation’s the first clue that something’s wrong.
If you find that a chimney’s leaning back and there’s a rotting smell wafting from the vent’s mouth, then there’s a huge problem you need to fix. Other things to inspect are your windows and doors. If anything seems misaligned or cracked, you need to repair the issues.
What exactly causes foundational issues? Here are some ideas:
- Load-bearing walls deteriorate
- Soil settling underneath the house
- The gutters aren’t draining properly
The Best Projects To Prevent Environmental Damage
To prevent further environmental damage, you need to update your home. Any home dotting Florida’s coastal zone should be remodeled, even if it’s not a beachfront property. Here’s how to renovate your home.
Raise Your Floor Levels
Many beachfront homes don’t have a solid foundation, making it easy for water to flood the house. During flooding, homes can prevent this by elevating their floor levels with a steel or concrete base. Building on a current or future property, it’s never too late to add an elevation to the home.
Update the Exterior With Paints and Finishes
After elevating, you may update the siding next. Even if you haven’t done so for money reasons, placing fresh paint and a new finish helps prevent the siding from deteriorating in rainstorms.
The material type may affect the finish, so consult a contractor for advice on the best finish to use for your siding before applying. With the right direction, you’ll have a well-kept siding to defend against the currents.
Place Outside Furniture Into Storage and Buy Covers
Don’t ever leave outdoor furniture outside in a storm. You risk potential damage to your property, and the objects become potential projectiles for nearby homes. If you can’t place anything in storage, place covers over the furniture and tie it down to your deck or a regular part of your home.
On the other hand, storing it in a unit’s best, even if it’s in the basement or garage, as it will ultimately keep everything safe and unbroken and save your home from destruction. Also, you avoid creating further problems for nearby neighbors.
Replace Current Hardware With Something Stronger
Everything from rusted hinges to cracked windowpanes, these small things add more chances of interior damage if not fixed. When looking over the doors and windows, ensure the hardware is corrosion-free and isn’t loose.
Suppose you notice the materials corroding; replace everything with hardware that resists corrosion and weather effects. Try out galvanized—it’s stronger, works well around salt water, and won’t rust if the area floods.
Maintain Your Home Regularly
It’s essential to keep the home updated regularly, including maintaining the area. Whether you have sand or a lawn, ensure there’s no litter surrounding your home. And, even if you only visit once or twice a year, hire extra help to keep the place tidy.
If you have an in-ground pool, a beautiful garden, or a deck, hire a team of workers to come out and do daily or weekly maintenance. Maintaining the grounds protects the home from intruders because it looks like the home’s occupied even when you’re not around.
Here are things you should do around the property even while away:
- Pressure-wash your home twice a year
- Clean the siding often to prevent mold growth
- Hire someone to fix siding damages
- Repaint or apply varnish often
- Fix your windows and update them when needed
Update the Deck
The deck’s the most vulnerable part of your home as it faces the ocean. While it invites dramatic views, it could still cause damage to your property. Applying the proper remedies is crucial to prevent the patio from weathering and collapsing during a storm.
The best way to save your deck is to apply a weatherproof coating. Like your siding’s finish, a weatherproof coating protects the deck from moisture buildup and humidity. Also, many are usable in areas with salt water.
Best Advice on Picking Useful Materials for a Beach House
While making plans to update your beach house, start by performing assessments of the property’s quality—every homeowner along the coast should conduct a maintenance check once a month. The sooner you do these things, the better your chances of having less damage.
Pick Hurricane Impact Windows
Many homes suffer greatly from breakable windows. The material it’s made from causes accidents to happen. To decrease the likelihood of shattered glass, you must invest in high-quality and durable glass when owning a property in Florida. The right panes to pick in Florida are storm windows.
Storm windows provide better protection, as the glass is made with plastic sheets—known as tempered glass—that are morphed together to create stronger resistance in storms. These window types are customizable to fit your needs without neglecting style.
Always Choose Siding That’s Corrosion-Resistant
Choosing a siding’s essential to maintaining the overall integrity of your home. Without a proper siding, you risk water seeping through the walls and affecting the interior. So, purchase corrosion-resistant sidings, such as vinyl and metal cladding.
Don’t Forget To Update Your Doors
Doors are an essential part of the home as well. Update the fixtures with corrosion-and weather-resistant hardware, such as galvanized hinges.
Things To Know About Home Insurance for Beachfront Properties
While learning how to protect your beachfront property, be aware that home insurance differs for beachfront estates. Here’s what you should know.
Home Insurance May Not Be Available in Your Area
You’ll have trouble finding a private insurance company for your beach house. Many beach locations won’t have private home insurance nearby because these home types are considered vacation residences. Vacation dwellings are at a higher risk of damage, so the cost to buy home insurance for a vacation house on the beach would be astronomical.
Many beachfront communities have committees that provide protection, even if you use the home as a vacation spot a few times a year. Research your community and contact others about beachfront property insurance providers.
Consider Getting Flood Insurance
You could still qualify for flood insurance even if you can’t obtain home insurance coverage. Flood insurance works for all property types, including waterfront estates. Flood insurance covers what standard private or public insurance policies don’t. Weigh your options and seek financial advice before opting in for flood protection.
It’s all right to have setbacks regarding insurance and finding the best ways to safeguard a beach house. With Florida Window and Door Solutions, we can guide you in securing the home from intruders and inclement weather with replacement windows. Contact us today to learn more about our window and door replacement services!
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