With recent disasters on the news, you may be thinking about how best to protect your home against inclement weather and other acts of god. There are a couple of easy enhancements you can make to your home to round out your home protection set-up. Properly tested and graded doors like storm doors and hurricane impact doors can help prevent pressure build-up in the home, protect inner doors and glass inserts from debris, and prevent water and air from entering your home.

Approvals to Look For

If you live in a high-wind area, you may want to look for storm doors that are rated for hurricane approval. For the highest levels of approval doors must be tested and rated using a variety of tests, including impact and cyclic tests, air infiltration tests, uniform static air resistance tests, large missile tests, and water resistance tests. Make sure your door has a “sweep”, a strip along the bottom of the door designed to keep out bugs, air, and moisture. Door closers may be included or added to pull doors shut on their own again if blown open.

Maintenance Tips

Regular maintenance ensures storm doors will continue to provide high quality protection against rain, wind, and debris. Check for dents, scratches, torn material, and debris in hinges and between panels. Check the closer and latches to ensure they are securely attached to both the door and the door jamb. Regularly oil and open and close storm doors to check on their proper function.

Additional Solutions

To enhance home security during hurricanes and other inclement weather, consider purchasing storm shutters made of plywood, fabric panels, or corrugated steel or aluminum, depending on your needs. There are a variety of pros and cons; however, so long as they are properly installed almost all solutions will improve overall house safety.

Bio: ETO Doors is a custom door manufacturer based out of Los Angeles with two showrooms in New York and Las Vegas. They carry a variety of doors available for custom order or purchase online, with a variety of specialty options such as solid wood and oil-rubbed bronze embellishments. Read ETO Doors reviews, browse their selection, and more online at the ETO Doors site.