What Is Wind Mitigation? Your First Line of Defense This Hurricane Season
We are getting close to hurricane season. That means it's time to make a plan to protect your home and family. Wind mitigation will help you weather the storm and safeguard your most valuable investment. Hurricane deductibles can be high, and repairs are expensive. Wind mitigation is the most effective way to protect your wallet and your home's structure.
While Damex does not perform wind mitigation inspections, we strongly believe in their effectiveness. We encourage business and homeowners to have a wind mitigation inspection performed for safety. We want the best for you and your business or home, even if it means having less post-storm work.
How to Defend Your Home Against Hurricanes
Hurricane preparation starts with stocking up on supplies and making evacuation plans, but it doesn't end there. Your home's structural integrity plays a big role in how much damage it will incur in a storm.
Wind mitigation assessments are a great way to avoid critical vulnerabilities before storms strike. Rather than guessing which features to use to protect your home, a wind assessment will tell you exactly where the weak spots are so you can get the most protection out of your efforts.
The Basics of Wind Mitigation
Wind mitigation combines structural features and construction techniques to help homes withstand hurricane-force winds. This includes things like roof-to-wall connections and impact-resistant windows. Secondary water barriers and specialized nail patterns in roof decking can provide further protection.
These protections won't just protect your wallet after a storm strikes, but they'll save you money on insurance as well. Florida law requires insurance companies to offer wind mitigation discounts. These discounts range from 3% to 55%. Many homeowners already have qualifying features they don't know about, leaving money on the table.
Wind Mitigation: Steps to Take
The first step is to schedule a professional wind mitigation inspection before the peak of hurricane season. This will provide a baseline assessment that identifies existing qualifying features and highlights opportunities for improvement.
Next, you'll want to gather relevant documentation for the inspector. They'll let you know what they need, but common items are roofing permits, receipts, and product specifications. These help inspectors verify which features qualify and maximize your available discounts.
After the inspector has provided their findings, focus on the improvements that will provide the best return on investment. Significant discounts are given for roof enhancements, such as hurricane straps and proper nail spacing. Protection of the home's openings, such as impact-resistant windows and hurricane shutters, also provides good discounts.
The inspector can help you identify which features will provide the most impact on your home's protection and your insurance bill.
Have Your Home Inspected
Professional wind mitigation inspections must undergo special training and certification. They need to be a certified wind mitigation inspector. This gives them an understanding of complex building codes, qualification requirements, and the documentation required by insurance companies. Armed with this knowledge, they can get you the biggest discounts and the greatest amount of protection.
What Happens During a Wind Mitigation Inspection
Professional inspectors conduct comprehensive assessments. The process typically takes less than an hour. During the visit, they'll examine several key areas:
Roof shape
Roof covering
Roof deck attachment
Roof-to-wall connections
Roofing Secondary water resistance
Opening protection (windows, doors, including garage, etc.,)
Gable end bracing
Exterior wall construction
To aid in their report and to document features for insurance companies, the inspector will photograph structural connections, measure nail spacing, verify materials, and assess compliance with current building codes.
After their visit, the inspector will get to work on preparing the detailed report. The final report is typically delivered within 24-48 hours. It will include pictures and specific findings that you can submit immediately to your insurance company for discounts. Additionally, it will include recommendations for improvements. These are typically sorted by potential savings and safety benefits to help you prioritize them.
Protect Your Property by scheduling an appointment with a certified wind mitigation inspector.
A hurricane mitigation inspection is one of the smartest investments you can make for hurricane preparedness. With the state's insurance discount requirements, Florida wind mitigation efforts offer both savings and safety. Given the benefits, there's no reason to enter another hurricane season unprepared. Certified wind mitigation inspections can make sure your property is bolstered in preparation for a hurricane.
We're here to help clean up, mitigate, and rebuild after the storm—but more importantly, we encourage you to strengthen your home or business so that, ideally, you won’t need our services at all.
Image Source: Michael O'Keene / Shutterstock
