Wind and Water Intrusion Mitigation

One Call Property Services is encouraging everyone to take the time to understand and learn how to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster, such as a hurricane.

Wind driven water intrusion can cause catastrophic damage to the walls, ceilings and interiors of home. When wind speeds exceed 60 mph, rain water is driven against the exterior of your house with great force and large quantities of the water can penetrate through cracks, holes and gaps in the siding and around windows and doors. During a hurricane this process continues for hours at a time and the resulting damage and mold can be as devastating as direct wind damage. 

Because houses cannot afford to be built to keep all water out, steps should be taken to minimize the quantity of water that enters around windows and doors, through cracks and through siding. Most houses have several vulnerabilities that allow water to enter that can be easily fixed, some in just an hour or so.

Seal The Roof

The roof covering, and the sheathing beneath it, form a critical shield of protection from hurricane winds and water. Water intrusion can easily infiltrate in a roof system that is exposed to high winds and rain. A polyurethane adhesive spray can be applied to both retrofitted and new construction that strengthens a roof 2 to 4 times over nails alone and can reduce water intrusion by approximately 99% if the roof covering fails.

Window Protection

Window Protection is important for providing protection against hurricane damage. It is the first line of defense against a hurricane. Window protections not only protect windows, doors and roof but our possessions and family inside. They are designed to protect against wind and wind borne debris. Once wind enters inside a home, tremendous pressure is brought to bear on interior walls and upward pressure on the building's roof. This often causes the roof to blow off exposing the contents of the building to the storm leading to catastrophic damage. Much of the damage and building failure in Hurricanes can be prevented by professionally installed hurricane shutters over windows and doors. When purchasing window protection consider the following options: price, level of protection, ease of installment and operation.

Garage Door Protection

Protect Your Garage! The garage door is likely the largest, weakest opening of a residential home’s exterior envelope to a hurricane. About 80 percent of residential hurricane wind damage starts with wind entry through the garage door. Garage doors are vulnerable to hurricane and wind damage due to its long span of opening and relatively lightweight building material. One option to secure or retrofit a garage door is with a vertical bracing system made from high quality grade aluminum that attaches to the inside of the garage door. This offers protection which strengthens and provides support for the door in addition to the garage door track. An alternative, external solution, is the use of plywood sheet on the windward side to the garage door(s). Usually, a frame is built using 2x4s which spans horizontally (top and bottom, left and right) across the door and is secured to the house frame.