Home fortification
There are many ways to fortify your house. You can add locks to your doors and windows, install an alarm system, or get a dog. fortifying your house will make it more difficult for burglars to break in and will help keep you and your family safe.
Home insurance
Most people don’t realize that their home is one of their biggest investments. It’s important to protect your investment with the right kind of insurance. Home insurance, sometimes called hazard insurance or homeowners insurance, covers your home and property in case of damage or disaster.
There are two main types of home insurance: actual cash value and replacement cost coverage. Actual cash value coverage pays you the cash value of your belongings at the time they are damaged or destroyed. Replacement cost coverage pays you the amount it would cost to replace them with new items of similar quality and type.
The amount of coverage you need depends on the value of your home and belongings, as well as the kind of disasters that are common in your area. You should also consider whether you need additional coverage for high-value items like jewelry or electronics. Talk to your agent about what kind of home insurance is right for you.
Home security
There are many ways to fortify your home against burglars, but some methods are more effective than others. Here are a few of the most popular and most effective ways to fortify your home:
-Install a home security system: Home security systems are one of the most effective ways to discourage burglars from targeting your home. If you have a security system, make sure it is visible from the street and that it includes features like door and window alarms.
-Improve your home’s lighting: Burglars prefer to target homes that are dark and hidden from view. By improving the lighting around your home, you can make it much less attractive to burglars. Make sure to install motion-sensor lights around entry points like doors and windows.
-Make your home look occupied: One of the best ways to deter burglars is to make it look like someone is always home. Invest in timers for your lights and TVs so that they turn on and off at different times throughout the day. If you’re going on vacation, ask a neighbor to keep an eye on your house and pick up your mail while you’re gone.
-Secure your doors and windows: Doors and windows are the most common entry points for burglars, so it’s important to make sure they are secure. Install deadbolt locks on all of your exterior doors, and make sure your windows have locks as well. If you have sliding glass doors, install a security bar or rod that prevents the door from being opened from the outside.
By taking these simple steps, you can significantly improve the security of your home and deter burglars from targeting it.
Natural disasters
Disasters such as hurricanes, floods, and earthquakes can cause devastating damage to your home. It is important to be prepared before a disaster strikes. There are a few things you can do to fortify your home and protect your family.
Floods
A flood is an overflow of water that submerges land that is usually dry. Flooding may occur as an overflow of water from water bodies, such as a river, lake, or ocean, in which the water overtops or breaks levees, resulting in some of that water escaping its usual boundaries, or it may occur due to an accumulation of rainwater on saturated ground in an areal flood. When the land is submerged by floodwater, it destroys crops and buildings, and can lead to loss of human life. Floods also cause rivers to change course and damage bridges. Historical records of floods go back as far as the early Holocene period.[1] Some floods in recounted history were caused by supernatural activities, whereas others were natural disasters brought about by excessive rainfall.
There are several actions that people can take to protect themselves and their property from floods. These actions include:
- elevation (of both structures and critical utilities),
- use of flood barriers such as levees, dikes and berms (which may require connection to a form of pump if they are used in temporary situations),
- relocation or moving important assets out of harm’s way,
- channeling flood waters through spillways or culverts instead of angering critical infrastructure assets directly
Wildfires
Taking steps to protect your home and property from wildfires starts with knowing your risk. The first step is to find out if you live in a high-risk area for wildfires. Check with your local fire department or state forestry office.
If you live in a high-risk area, there are things you can do to reduce the risk of damage to your home and property from a wildfire.
-Clear leaves and other debris from gutters, eaves, porches and decks. This prevents embers from igniting your home.
-Remove dead vegetation and other combustible materials within 30 feet of your home’s foundation and outbuildings, including garages and sheds.
-Create a “defensible space” by keeping trees and shrubs trimmed and well maintained.
-Use fire-resistant or noncombustible building materials whenever possible when constructing or repairing structures on your property.
Hurricanes
A hurricane is a rotating tropical cyclone with winds that are over 119 kilometers (74 miles) per hour. The Saffir-Simpson hurricane wind scale rates a hurricane’s intensity by wind speed.
Home safety
Your house is your fortress, and it should be impenetrable to would-be invaders. There are a few simple things you can do to make your home a safe haven. Let’s take a look at a few of them.
Fire safety
Most home fires happen in the kitchen, so it’s important to be especially careful when cooking. Here are some tips to help you stay safe:
-Keep an eye on what you’re cooking. Don’t leave the kitchen if you’re cooking something on the stove.
-Keep things that can catch fire — like oven mitts, wooden utensils, food wrappers and towels — away from your stove.
-Turn off all appliances when you’re not using them.
-Don’t overload outlets and cords.
-Never leave candles unattended. Blow them out before you leave the room or go to sleep.