St. Augustine

House Damage

How to Spot a Rental Home That Won’t Get Destroyed in the Next Hurricane

Being able to rent a beachfront property is the dream of many. However, beachfront renting does come with a few downsides. A major one of these is the reality of having to deal with hurricanes from time to time. Therefore, knowing if your rental property can withstand the powerful winds and waters that accompany hurricanes is crucial to the value and longevity of your home. The following are the three indicators of a rental house that can withstand a hurricane.

Pilings

One of the most important features of a hurricane-proof home are the pilings, concrete pilings to be exact. According to Pearson Pilings, pilings not only elevate the home to be above the storm surge but also assist in support of the overall structure of it. Strong Concrete pilings placed into bedrock will no doubt provide some of the best protection from powerful hurricane winds. When you begin to see the destruction around you, you’ll definitely be glad that you chose a home with concrete pilings rather than wood.

The Roof

Unlike a traditional home’s roof, a hurricane-proof rental home’s roof should consist of a high slope metal. It should also be connected to your deck for extra strength. In fact, the interlocking panels of a metal roof provide way more strength and security than the average roof, and they’re also lighter in weight. According to Absolute Steel, after Hurricane Ike in 2008, FEMA began recommending the installation of metal roofs with a caveat—they had to be installed carefully and correctly in order to be effective. In addition, metal roofs can last you almost 50 years, thus saving you on constant maintenance.

Hurricane Shutters

Hurricane shutters are meant to not only protect your windows from breaking, but they protect the entire home as well. How so? Well, when strong winds manage to break a window, the air pressure within the home begins to rise dramatically. This results in nothing good as it can begin to break your home’s structure from within. You could ask your landlord to install these beforehand, but according to Eastern Architectural Systems, many coastal insurance companies offer incentives for renters who install hurricane shutters.

Whether you are looking into renting a newer or older home, the price for safety will always be high, but it’s extremely necessary. If you are a renter, speak with your landlord first about adding these features. Remember, safety should be your number one priority when it comes to living on a hurricane-prone coast.

If you are looking for the perfect rental, look no further! We have everything that you could possibly need!

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