Protect your windows and doors during this year’s busier-than-usual hurricane season to lessen damage and lower homeowners insurance premiums.
Windows and Doors are Vulnerable
You know the damage an errant rock can do to a home’s unprotected windows or sliding glass doors. Now imagine that rock driven by hurricane-force winds in excess of 155 mph. Keeping your windows and doors intact during a storm prevents injuries from flying glass.
When windows and doors blow out or are broken by wind-borne debris, they also allow water into your home. A mere inch of floodwater can cause $7,800 in damage. Wind coming in through compromised window and door openings can create dangerous pressure inside a home that can destabilize the walls and roof.
To encourage homeowners to take steps to minimize damage, many insurers offer discounts for hurricane-mitigation improvements. In Florida’s Miami-Dade County, for example, the annual insurance premium on an older home insured for $150,000 runs between $3,000-$8,000, assuming no hurricane-mitigation improvements. With improvements, such as storm shutters or high-impact glass, the same home would cost between $1,000-$3,500 to insure.
When windows and doors blow out or are broken by wind-borne debris, they also allow water into your home. A mere inch of floodwater can cause $7,800 in damage. Wind coming in through compromised window and door openings can create dangerous pressure inside a home that can destabilize the walls and roof.
To encourage homeowners to take steps to minimize damage, many insurers offer discounts for hurricane-mitigation improvements. In Florida’s Miami-Dade County, for example, the annual insurance premium on an older home insured for $150,000 runs between $3,000-$8,000, assuming no hurricane-mitigation improvements. With improvements, such as storm shutters or high-impact glass, the same home would cost between $1,000-$3,500 to insure.