With Hurricane Isaac now raging, it is important that everyone stay safe. One of the key aspects of safety is preparing your home for just such an occurrence. If you are in a mobile home or manufactured house, this becomes especially important. The thinner walls and different method of construction can lead to mobile home owners suffering badly during a hurricane. Our book – Your Mobile Home– can help prepare you for just such an occurrence.
Weathering the Storm
Whether you are in the path of a hurricane or living in an area where tornadoes can occur, our book helps you by giving you clues on what to watch out for and what to do to help your home’s wind resistance.
With a hurricane, you need to take some steps to help protect your home, before you evacuate.
- pack fragile items in boxes and place them on the floor
- tape windows and mirrors to keep them from shattering and spreading glass fragments all over
- cover or shutter your windows from the outside to stop flying debris from damaging them
- turn off your water main, in case damage to the plumbing system causes a break, as this could flood your home with water
- shut off fuel lines, such as from a propane tank, so that they aren’t severed or broken and result in a fire
- tie down your garbage cans, lawn furniture, and any other loose items around your place
You can read more tips on our Energy Tips page for Mobile Home Windstorm Protection.
Preparing Your Home Early
We have a section in our book that addresses how you improve your home’s wind resistance. Whether you install built-in, sliding, steel shutters to protect your windows, or retrofit the anchors and tie-downs for your home, there are several steps you can take to help protect your home from damage.
You can:
- Inspect and improve the anchors and tie-downs on your mobile home. Make sure they are rated for the types of winds you can expect for whatever area you are living in.
- Reinforce the wall joints at the floor and ceiling. Leaking can occur during the high winds and rain of a hurricane, so having these areas reinforced and sealed will help alleviate this problem.
- Improve the outside wall sheathing of your mobile home. Most home sidings are just the outer siding on top of the insulation. When the wind blows the siding off, the insulation and inner walls become exposed and damage can occur. Secure the siding tightly, using more screws, so that it holds firmly to the floor, the wall, and the roof edge.
- Install sliding storm shutters on all your windows, so that they can be quickly closed when the storm comes.
- Keep your mobile home’s roof in good order, with the edges securely fastened and all holes properly patched and sealed. Loose edges can lead to the high winds tearing holes in your roof, allowing rainfall to cause extensive water damage.
All of these tips, and more, are explained in much more detail in our book. We also include helpful and clearly explained images so you know what to look for when making these changes. This book will help you take the necessary steps to protect your home as best your can when faced with a hurricane or tornado.
For those of you who may currently be weathering the storm, take care of yourself first and foremost. When it’s over, then you can work on becoming better prepared for the next storm.
