Living in Miami can be considered one of the best experiences you ever enjoy. The pristine beaches, constantly sunny weather, and its beautiful scenery certainly make every day worthwhile. However, if you live in Miami, you know these sunny days do not go on forever.
From June to November, the area of Miami actually gets visited by more than just a few hurricanes, ranging from minor category types to the more serious and threatening Category 5 storms. Because of this, it becomes critical for homeowners to ensure that they are ready for changes in the weather.
In order to protect your family, you should make sure that your house will be up to the task. From doors to windows, you should invest in quality impact materials that will keep your Miami property intact, despite the strong winds. If you haven’t yet invested in this sort of fortification for your property, make sure to do it quickly because experts predict that the 2017 hurricane season is going to be “above-average”.
Door Requirements
You will want to get a door that has the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) seal of approval. This means that it’s been tested and certified to have withstood wind pressure as high as 250 mph at minimum. Even a 100-mph missile flying horizontally should be no contest to a FEMA-certified impact door.
While the composition of such doors is high-grade stuff designed for the purposes of shelters or safe rooms, it can also be used for regular homes. The sturdier your impact door is in a hurricane-prone area, the better it is for your safety and home.
Of course, if you’re going to upgrade your door material, it follows that you should also upgrade the doorframe as well. After all, your door is only as strong as its frame when it comes to Miami gales.
Retain Home Aesthetics
Understandably, one of the major concerns for homeowners is how high-impact doors affect the appearance of their property. During hurricane season, their fortress-like presence is acceptable, but when the city is bathed in pleasant sunlight from December to June, homeowners may be a bit turned off by the ominous appearance of these doors.
But, actually you can find high-impact, sliding, glass doors that afford you great views outside without putting your house and family at risk. There are contractors and suppliers, such as Ready Windows, who are readily available to provide the fortified door requirements you may need to prepare for the hurricane season, all without having to sacrifice the aesthetic appeal of your home.
If you must upgrade your doors and windows, just make sure to do it well ahead of time so that you can avoid making hurried, inadequate choices.
Sources:
8 Tornado Proof House Tips. Popular Mechanics.
Types of Hurricane Impact Testing for Windows, Doors, and Other Building Components. Engineering Express.