The Importance Of Wind Mitigation In Central Florida

Florida may be known as the Sunshine State, but our distinct hurricane season counters all that sun. Throughout the year, numerous tropical storms, tornados, and smaller-scale wind storms can damage your home if it’s underprotected. Luckily, there are steps you can perform to combat this and make your home safer in the long run.

What is Wind Mitigation?

Wind mitigation is the process of making changes and upgrades that prevent or minimize wind damage to your home, other structures, and landscaping. Wind is one of the three primary forces that commonly cause property damage in Florida (the other two are water and fire).

Plus, there’s potential to save on your homeowner’s insurance if you can prove that your home is less likely to be damaged by high winds.

Why Invest in Wind Mitigation For Your Florida Home?

The fact is that, in Florida, 15% to 70% of your home insurance premium is based on the relative risk of wind damage. So, having your home inspected by a professional wind mitigation inspector can result in substantial savings on monthly premiums.

You would be surprised at the damage winds can do, even below hurricane-level speeds (25 to 100 mph). And, of course, hurricane winds (100+ mph) pose an even greater risk via:

  • Shear force
  • Flying projectiles
  • Driving water into places it usually wouldn’t penetrate
  • Damaging weak points in the house structure
  • Lifting things apart (commonly a roof or inadequately secured manufactured homes)

Adding safety features, adjusting construction where practical, trimming back overhanging tree limbs, and removing deadwood and debris from your property all reduce wind damage risk.

But there’s another reason to invest in wind mitigation—for safety’s sake. Your family could be at risk in a major wind storm, and that means inestimably more than preventing property damage and saving on insurance premiums.

Wind Mitigation in Action

The first step toward mitigating wind damage to your home is getting a wind mitigation inspection. However, the next step is to read the report carefully and implement any recommended changes.

The most common recommendations noted by a wind mitigation inspection report include:

  • Installing hurricane shutters and hurricane straps (on the roof) which will help fend off airborne debris during a hurricane.
  • Upgrading to shatter-resistant windows and hurricane-rated doors (as well as garage doors) is also recommended.
  • Reinforcing the connection between walls and roof by “anchoring” your home more firmly to its foundation. The overall effect is to create a roof-to-foundation load path that prevents the wind from lifting your home apart piece by piece.
  • Ensuring the roof/house has proper water barriers in place, such as sealing the roof decking to prevent water damage from torn-off shingles or surface damage from falling/wind-blown debris.

What to Expect in a Wind Mitigation Inspection

A wind inspection will consist of two major parts: inspecting your home’s exterior and its attic. A certified home inspector will walk around your home and throughout your attic in an orderly, thorough manner, checking all relevant features and details.

The inspector needs documentation proving the roof’s age and material type. We also evaluate roof shape, the strength of roof-to-wall connections, and how the roof deck attaches to the house. Windows, doors, skylights, and other openings will be investigated and rated for wind resistance.

Inside the attic, we’ll look for hurricane straps reinforcing the roof-wall connection points to achieve “hurricane-rated” status. Hurricane straps must be on every roof truss, have sufficient nails, and not be rusted.

Need a Complete Home Inspection, Including Wind Mitigation Info?

If you’re buying an older home (10 years or more) or shopping for a new insurance policy, you may want to schedule a complete home inspection. We can look at every aspect of your home’s structure, systems, and grading/drainage for just a small amount more. We can generate a wind mitigation report from a complete home inspection to pass on to your insurance agent.

This is a great way to learn everything about your home’s structural status and obtain a complete inspection report that serves as a home improvement to-do list to address in order of priority.

Contact Super Inspection Pros For Fast, Accurate Wind Mitigation Inspection Report Results

Super Inspection Pros is Central Florida’s go-to home inspector. We are Inter-NACHI-certified and guarantee an inspection appointment within 72 hours or less of your initial contact. We also offer a fast 24-hour turnaround on our inspection reports.

To learn more about protecting your home from wind damage or to get a free wind mitigation inspection quote, contact Super Inspection Pros in Central Florida today.

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