The recent onslaught by Hurricane Ian is yet more proof of why wind mitigation is so vital to Florida homeowners. Our state experiences more than its fair share of wind and storm damage, and homeowners should be motivated to protect their investments.
3 Reasons Wind Mitigation Is a Priority For Florida Residents
There are plenty of reasons wind mitigation features are worth your investment, but we’ve boiled them down to the primary three.
1. Safety, Safety, Safety
You can’t put a value on the safety of your home’s occupants, including heirlooms and precious possessions. While so much of the conversation around wind-resistant building features revolves around homeowners’ insurance and reduced repair bills, the truth is that these features ultimately protect the contents of your home.
Imagine the damage done when powerful winds shear off a portion or the entirety of a roof or when vulnerable glass windows and doors are shattered into the interior. The results are devastating. After decades of inspecting homes to vet post-storm repairs, we’ve heard horror stories – most of which were avoidable with a few basic protective measures.
Put your family, pets, and irreplaceable sentimental items at the forefront of your “top reasons to install wind mitigation features,” and you’ll never regret it.
2. Structural Integrity Depends on a Closed Environment
The leading causes of damage to a home’s structural materials are excessive wind and water exposure or as the result of a fire. All of these are addressed when you upgrade and maintain your home in a way that prioritizes wind protection.
High wind speeds are responsible for just about every type of damage a building can suffer. Roofs and porches can be blown off, exposing interior walls and leaving the interior exposed. In the meantime, rain directly accesses exposed portions of the house. Even without rain, the damage wind does to the home’s exterior can compromise interior plumbing, causing leaks or floods that exponentially increase the total damage.
Wind mitigation features work to keep your home intact and enclosed amid the storm, minimizing the worst of the risks.
3. Access to Homeowners’ Insurance (and at the Best Prices)
This third reason has two parts. The first is access to homeowners’ insurance. Even the briefest review of current news headlines yields a sad tale about the Florida homeowners’ insurance situation.
A recent NPR article states, “Florida’s insurance market was already under stress; Ian could make it worse,” while a post on Florida International University’s website begins, “The big reason Florida’s insurance companies are failing…” We’ve written our own posts about the passing of Florida’s SB76, an attempt to save the region’s insurance situation.
The bottom line is that insurance companies are making it harder and harder for homeowners to get insured in the first place, retain their insurance policy, and to purchase policies they can afford. The key to all of the above includes:
- Have a well-maintained roof that is 14 years old or younger
- Prove you have installed proper wind mitigation features
- Provide evidence that all structural repairs, modifications, or amendments were completed by licensed contractors
The right wind-resistant features are some of the most important when obtaining and maintaining a high-quality homeowners’ insurance policy.
Wind Protection Begins With These Features
There are several things you can do right now to give your home the next level of protection from dangerous winds:
- Ensure all doors and windows are hurricane-rated
- Reinforce gables
- Maintain a wind-safe landscape, carefully examining trees, limbs, and unattached outdoor/landscape decor
- Schedule a mobile home tie-down inspection to ensure all tie-downs are installed to code and in good shape
- Clear soffits and vents of any debris
- Verify wall connections (floor-to-floor, foundation-to-wall, and wall-to-roof, etc.) are strong and secure
- Verify water barriers are intact
Schedule a Wind Mitigation Inspection With SIP
Super Inspection Pros (SIP) is the go-to company for fast, efficient, and accurate inspections. Contact us to schedule a wind mitigation inspection. We guarantee a 24-hour turnaround and all the paperwork you need to submit to your home insurance carrier.
