Is Your Home Protected?

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Depending on where they live, homeowners can be exposed to one or more natural disasters such as earthquakes, hail, hurricanes, floods and wildfires.

The Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), a nonprofit association whose mission is to reduce deaths, injuries, property damage, economic losses and human suffering caused by natural disasters, publishes the “Is Your Home Protected?” series.

These publications specify construction, design and landscaping guidelines to enable homes to increase their resistance to natural disasters. The following IBHS links (used with permission) cover topics that may be of interest to you:

• Earthquakes and your home
• Nonstructural retrofits
• Structural retrofits
• Home improvement project list
• Before, during and after: Be completely prepared
• Additional sources of information

• Selecting an impact-resistant roof covering
• Types of roof coverings
• Selecting a contractor
• Commonly asked questions
• Terms you should know
• Additional sources of information

• Surrounding environment
• Home inspection
• Roofs
• Roof structure
• Wall openings
• Wall to foundation connection
• Home improvement project list
• Additional sources of information

• How your house handles water
• Frequent causes of moisture damage
• Moisture problems: Prevention & correction
• Dealing with major water damage events
• Additional resources

• Wildfires and your home
• Your home’s landscape
• Your home’s building materials and design
• Helping your local fire department
• Wildfire safety project list
• Wildfire protection checklist
• Additional sources of information