It's no secret that homeowners are feeling the strain of rising insurance costs across Louisiana. What can you do to ensure you're best protected and not paying too much for your homeowner's insurance? Read on to learn about wind mitigation and how it can impact your bottom line.
Understanding Wind Mitigation for Louisiana Homeowners
Louisiana, particularly regions susceptible to hurricanes and high winds, can greatly benefit from implementing wind mitigation features in homes. By reinforcing properties against extreme winds and storms, homeowners in Louisiana can not only enhance safety but also potentially save on insurance premiums.
What is Wind Mitigation?
Wind mitigation involves fortifying your home with specific features to withstand or increase resistance to high winds during severe storms or hurricanes. This includes a multitude of updates and improvements to your home to provide the best wind protections possible.
Implementing Water Barriers Sealing the roof deck acts as a barrier against water intrusion that might result from extreme winds or flying debris, preserving the structural integrity and enhancing insulation in your home.
Anchoring from Roof to Foundation Reinforcing the connections from the walls to the roof and foundation establishes a continuous load path, enabling the outer structure of your home to resist powerful winds.
Protecting Windows and Doors Various options are available to shield windows and other openings from strong winds and flying debris. These options include shatterproof windows, storm shutters, and hurricane-rated doors, particularly for larger openings like garage doors. Additional bracing can be added to existing garage doors for further protection.
Why Do Louisiana Homeowners Need a Wind Mitigation Survey?
The needs for wind mitigation are equal parts cost and safety related. A substantial portion of home insurance premiums is associated with wind-related risks. Although there's an initial investment, integrating wind mitigation features can lead to considerable long-term savings. Beyond financial savings, fortifying your home against severe weather is crucial for the safety of your family. Installing hurricane shutters on windows or securing roofs with hurricane straps reduces the risk of debris penetrating your home during a storm, ensuring your property is best protected from the next storm.
Conducting Wind Mitigation Surveys
A certified inspector performs a wind mitigation inspection to identify the applicable credits for a home. This inspection focuses on key features and add-ons that reduce potential damage during hurricanes or strong windstorms.
For homeowners in need of a licensed Home Inspector in Louisiana, we recommend Bill Hatchett at Wind Mitigation Surveyors, LLC. Bill is the first Wind Mitigation Surveyor registered in Louisiana, and was involved in the early development of the Wind Mitigation Insurance Credit/Discount program. He has an extensive background in home and commercial inspections dating back to 1992, with over 12,000 inspections completed to date. For more information or to schedule an appointment with Bill, reach out to Wind Mitigation Surveyors at 504-439-2860.