Tornadoes, no matter how far away, will scare anyone. Mother Nature has a way of reminding us that she’s in control despite what we tell ourselves when we go to sleep at night. If you’ve ever been in an area prone to tornadoes, you know there’s no protecting yourself from damage if it comes barreling at you. However, there are some safety tips you can put into place that will protect your roof the best it can if a tornado strikes your area.
Protect Your Roof from Tornado Damage
There are eight things you can consider to protect your roof, and home, from tornado damage. Keep in mind that these aren’t foolproof and the best thing to do to protect yourself when a tornado touches down is to seek shelter and not worry about your home.
For your roof, utilize roof sheathing and ties. Sheathing, especially at your gables, at least six inches on each side helps hold down your roof to its maximum safety potential. Roof ties connect your rafters and trusses to wall studs, offering more security in holding your roof to the rest of your home.
Foundation anchors, wall top plates and cathedral gable end walls offer an additional layer of protection in high wind situations. So long as these components are installed and installed properly, they’ll offer an added layer of safety in the event of a tornado.
Your house’s shape and size can often protect you from the worst a tornado can do. As you’d expect, a one story home can do better in high winds than a multi-story home. Shallow roofs also do better but you may not be able to help either of these conditions depending on what you built or bought.
Brick, fiber cement and wood siding holds up the best in high wind situations compared to vinyl products. This may be another thing you can’t help but if you replace your siding, consider something sturdier to hold up if you live in a tornado-prone area.
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