15 Aug 5 Summer Storm-Proofing Tips for Choosing Materials That Withstand the Elements

Residents of the Quad Cities aren’t exactly strangers to summer storms. Every year, tens of thousands of people in the state sustain property damage and injury from weather events.  And Iowans know midwestern weather can be both intense and unpredictable. Summer storm-proofing your home makes absolute sense to prevent costly damage and even loss of life. But what is the best way to keep your family safe and your home intact when Mother Nature rages?

At Seiffert Building Supplies, we know exactly what you need to keep Mother Nature from wreaking havoc on your family and your home during these intense summer storms. We’ve experienced plenty ourselves. For more than a century, Seiffert Building Supplies has stood as the Quad Cities’ go-to. We know what our neighbors need for summer storm-proofing their homes.   

5 Tips for Choosing The Right Materials for Summer Storm-Proofing Your Home

The number one rule of summer storm-proofing your Iowa home is to choose the right materials. Durability and strength are key factors in withstanding the elements. Here we offer 5 summer storm-proofing tips for choosing those materials and how to use them to protect your home and family.

1. Make Roofing a Priority

Water damage, wind, and debris pose a huge threat to the structural integrity of your home. Protecting your roof from high winds, hail, driving rain, and even lightning by choosing the most resilient materials that withstand these elements should be priority one when it comes to summer storm-proofing your home. These are our top choices:

• Impact Resistant Shingles: Asphalt shingles with a Class 4 rating offer the highest level of protection against hail damage, strong winds, and flying debris. 

• Metal Roofing: While metal roofing’s aesthetic may not be for everyone, it offers superior protection against storms. It’s puncture-proof, withstands gale-force winds, and lasts, in some instances, more than a century.

• Eco-Friendly Slate Roofing: This roofing material is fire-resistant, stands up to pounding rain and hail, and can withstand hurricane-force winds. Slate roofing also lasts beyond the century mark with very little maintenance. However, like metal roofing, it does have a certain aesthetic that may not appeal to everyone.

Some additional summer storm-proofing maintenance to keep in mind when it comes to your roof: 

• Perform maintenance on your roof in anticipation of summer storms. Check the roof deck seams and ensure nail spacing is tight enough to prevent wind damage. Be sure to fasten down your drip edges and reinforce gutters so wind doesn’t get beneath your roof cover. 

• Ensure your roof is strongly and thoroughly connected to your home with no gaps. If necessary, invest in hurricane straps to reinforce the connection before storm season.

• Make sure flashing is properly affixed and flush with your roof. You risk water damage, which can lead to mold, when flashing is degraded. 

2. Protect Your Home With Siding That Withstands the Elements

The right siding not only protects your home from summer storms, but it also keeps out pests, insulates, and stands up to the Quad Cities’ changing seasons. Here are some of our favorites for summer storm-proofing your home.

• Steel Siding: This is one of the strongest sidings you can find. If you want a siding that withstands the elements, steel is the one. It’s resistant to moisture, rot, and insects. Steel siding also offers resistance to damaging hail, dangerous winds, and damage from the impact of flying debris. 

• Brick: Long a classic and favorite of traditional homeowners, brick is durable and weather-resistant. And brick siding adapts to just about any aesthetic. That’s probably why it remains one of the top choices for home siding. 

• Stone: Similar to brick in how it withstands the elements, stone siding offers a lovely aesthetic as well. 

• Fiber Cement: Fiber cement siding is manufactured using sand, cellulose fiber, and cement. It’s highly durable, offering protection from fire, rot, moisture damage, invading insects, and flying debris.

3. Windows and Doors

No doubt, windows and doors that can’t withstand the elements offer the biggest opportunity for summer storms to threaten your home’s interior, including those inside. That’s why we think these materials offer the best protection when summer storm-proofing your home.

• Impact Resistant Windows: Shattered windows from gale-force winds or wind-flung debris can cause injury and make a direct path for storm elements to damage your home’s interior. Avoid these risks with impact-resistant windows. These windows are made from multiple layers of glass and a plastic interlayer that adds strength and minimizes shattering. Also, consider fiberglass or vinyl window frames for added strength and minimal impact damage. 

• Reinforced Doors: Your entry doors and garage doors are likely your most vulnerable openings. Consider reinforcing your doors or replacing them with doors made from impact-resistant steel or fiberglass. Also, always ensure any glass on doors or sidelights is impact-resistant as well. 

4. Foundation Factors

A sturdy, deep foundation protects the integrity of your home during dangerous summer storms. Have your foundation inspected by a professional and take steps to reinforce with concrete. If there is a risk for flooding or water damage to your foundation, make sure to speak with a waterproofing professional while summer storm-proofing your home.

5. Additional Tips to Consider When Summer-Proofing Your Home

While summer storm-proofing your home, take a good look at your landscaping. Take down any trees that are close to your home or appear weak. Secure decorative pots, such as hanging pots, or bring them indoors. Prune branches that hang over your home to prevent roof or window damage. When considering landscaping, go with those trees and bushes that have a deep root system.

Secure any outdoor furniture or appliances and invest in screens to protect your outdoor HVAC units. One good whack from wind-borne debris may end up costing you thousands of dollars. Always pay attention to weather updates. We know these intense midwestern storms can rapidly turn severe or become deadly tornadoes. Summer storm-proofing yourself is the most essential task.

For more summer storm-proofing ideas, please reach out to Seiffert Building Supplies today. Don’t wait until it’s too late.

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