Private Scenes

Philip Kessler

7 Steps to Protect Your Home From a Hurricane

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We’re well into the season this year and so far, so good, right? For the most part, we just take hurricane season in stride around here. However, there’s always that tiny “what if” thought that makes its way into our heads every so often. We’ve got a list of steps you can take to better protect your home. It’s never too late to consider beefing up your home to withstand a hurricane should one come roaring toward the coast this year.

The weathermen stay on top of the forecast telling us days in advance if we need to prepare, but that’s a little too late to take on a new project. The odds are slim to none that you would get a contractor to the house in time to get the job done. It’s best to take on larger projects before the storm clouds are building on the horizon.

Speaking of staying on top of things

The thought of a hurricane ripping our roof from our home is bleak indeed. If that happens, our entire house can go down. And, even if it doesn’t, odds are there won’t be much left to salvage.

Taking steps now to strengthen your roof’s wind resistance could make all the difference if a storm ever makes landfall here.

Holding it together

An inexpensive step that nearly triples your roof’s wind resistance is using construction adhesive. That’s right. Glue. Head for the attic and run a thick bead of construction adhesive down each side of the rafters where it meets the plywood roof deck.

Clip it

If your home is under construction, adding hurricane clips is a good idea. They strengthen the connection between the rafters and walls. This step also greatly increases your roof’s wind resistance. However, it’s tough to retrofit them. An experienced contractor can do the job, but it is costly. It usually involves cutting out a section of the siding and the wall sheathing at every spot where a rafter rests on the wall.

Braces aren’t just for teeth

If you have a gabled roof, it is more susceptible to wind damage. Bracing it from the underside is something to consider. The braces are merely 2x4s that run the length of the roof. Install them 18 inches from the ridge, in the center span and at the base. Gabled end bracing is achieved by using 2x4s placed in an X pattern from the top and bottom centers of the gable to the top and bottom center braces of the fourth truss.

See what’s coming at you

Hurricane windows are a sight to behold! These windows are constructed of tempered glass that is adhered on either side of a sheet of high-tech polymer. The high-tech polymer holds the glass in place so that the window doesn’t fly apart. Even if hit with the force of a 2×4 slamming into the glass end on, these windows stay together. The glass may crack, even spiderweb, but it isn’t going anywhere.

“Once the wind gains access to your home through shattered windows, there’s an increased chance that you can lose your roof. Our homes aren’t airtight. Winds rush upward to the attic and force their way out through the tiniest spaces. This causes pressure to build inside. All the while, the storm is pounding away at your roof from the outside. This can literally rip your entire roof right off. Our windows are built to withstand the force of wind-tossed debris. If the wind can’t get in, the chances of your home surviving are measurably increased.” explains Chris Gardner, General Manager and VP at Reece Windows.

In addition, unlike most storm shutters, hurricane windows provide a light source instead of leaving you in the dark. Moreover, there’s no putting them up and taking them down. Once you install these windows, they are at the ready 24/7.

Keep the door closed

Like our windows, if our exterior doors fail, the hurricane is coming in full force. Installing hurricane resistant doors is certainly an option. However, reinforcing the ones you have will be much less expensive and provides added protection. You can purchase kits to do the job or simply install brackets above the door and purchase metal rods the proper length to reach from the brackets to the floor.

Don’t forget your garage door! The same technique is used. However, since a garage door is so large, it’s suggested that you drill holes in the garage floor to insert the metal rods into before fastening with the brackets above the door. It’s estimated that up to 90% of homes that are destroyed by a hurricane lost their garage door first allowing the wind to access the home in a big way.

Batten down the hatches

Secure any pool screen enclosures or your lanai with tie-downs. Tie-downs secure your enclosures to the base to keep them in place. Moreover, don’t skimp on the number of tie-downs you use. The more you use the better!

Also, while we’re on the subject, don’t drain your pool. Groundwater can accumulate and float your pool right out of the ground. The water weighs it down.

Look at your landscaping

Trees containing heavy foliage blow over easier. Therefore, pruning trees allows the wind to pass through decreasing the chance of them toppling over. Also, if planting trees in the future, check with your local nursery to see what types they suggest to better withstand storms.

If you have fruit trees, you should pick the fruit. Leaving it in place is not a good idea. The winds will rip it from the branches and turn it into projectiles.

Wrapping it up

If you find yourself in the path of a hurricane and local authorities suggest you evacuate. Please, evacuate. Staying puts your family at great risk. Stay tuned to updates because things can change in an instant. Having an evacuation plan in place could save your life.

Providing added hurricane protection for your home now will have a lasting effect for years to come. Your family will be safer if ever you do need to weather the storm.

How to Transform a Boring View Into Your Dream Get Away

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Your home should be a sanctuary — an escape and a stimulation amidst the humdrum and repetitive nature of life. You want it to be the most of everything, your dream getaway. Having a boring view in your backyard may not be your fault, but there are ways to transform it from tragic to terrific.

Evaluate

Your first step is to really know what you’ve got and what you want. If you’ve got a wonderful screened in pool, you may have noticed nosy neighbors peeking inside when you’re just trying to unwind. Maybe you’ve got a great gazebo, but your lot is situated so that you see nothing but other houses or traffic. It’s quite possible that you have a lovely backyard with no neighbors, but staring at the same treeline for years has left your imagination stale.

Take a look at the land and dream up some improvements. First and foremost, you need to see what you want to change so that you have somewhere to start.

Budget

The next step is to see what you can afford. This may be the most unpleasant portion of your planning, but you need to set a limit. Dollar limits, however, don’t place limits on creativity. You may not be able to put in a deck that spans the length of your home, but it doesn’t mean you can’t place the deck that fits both your budget and your plan. There is no sense drawing up plans for something you can’t or don’t want to spend money on doing. This might be where you figure out whether it’s a do-it-yourself style makeover or you can afford a professional to make your dreams a reality. You might also be surprised how knowing the size of your “box” leads to “outside the box” thinking.

Planning

With a number or a price range in mind, you can plan and adjust accordingly. You may need permits. You may need to know if power or plumbing is going to be in the way or part of your new vision. Start with the broad strokes and work your way down into details, but at every step, you’re going to check back on previous steps to see if things need to change down the line.

If you are faced with an expanse of yard, decide where you want to enjoy the vista. From that place, work close to that point rather than trying to fill in every available space in the yard. A number of large plants near your chosen spot can create the illusion that you’re surrounded while not actually enveloping the entire yard and your budget. Then, accent with the touches that fit your style. If it’s tropical, tiki torches, maybe a small fire pit, and tropical plants can help create that image. If it’s desert, large sculpted sandstone rocks, rock gardens, cacti and minimal greenery will get you to your goal.

Perhaps you’ve got a great pool, completely enclosed in screens, but privacy is still lacking thanks to a backyard that faces a neighbor and no fence. Instead of trying to block just their view, why not improve your own with a privacy screening concept? Sure you could block out the view with solid colors, but you could also choose a bright pattern that will let the air in, while keeping strangers eyes off the water. A professional can install them quickly and cleanly and you’ll have a myriad of options on the view you’d like to see from inside the screen. You can choose a tropical horizon, a dense jungle, or maybe a snowscape. You can consider doing the same to any kind of screened enclosure — pool or not.

You could alternatively decide on privacy curtains. These will let you close or open the view depending on your mood or the weather or for any reason. The all-weather fabric means not having to worry about taking them down or spending too much valuable time cleaning and hanging them.

If you already have a fence, think of some ways to hide it with features so that the “fence in” looks more natural than it does purposeful. Staging the area smartly may be a cleaner look than opting for a mural on the backyard fence, but that’s an option as well.

Checklist check

You’re ready to pull the trigger and greenlight a home improvement project. This is the time to check your checklist and see that nothing has been missed. If you’ve budgeted for a professional, now is the time to see if they’re needed throughout or just in a small portion of the project. It’s always better to use a licensed pro, but make sure you’re ready for them when you need them so you don’t waste time, because time is most certainly money. After you’ve double-checked your plans, it’s time to make it happen cap’n! That boring view will be a dream getaway before long!

How to Make the Most of Your Gazebo on Rainy Days

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It’s raining outside. No, really, it’s raining right outside the window right now.

It’s falling lightly and the lightning and thunder that follows is receding into the distance, but there’s still a light rain pattering against the sidewalk out front and on the grass out back.

There’s something peaceful about it, but there’s no way I can go sit outside with a book or find a dry spot to sit and have a snack and watch nature cleanse itself – unless I have a gazebo.

Yes, it’s possible to enjoy the outdoors with a gazebo or pergola, even on a rainy day – after or during the wet stuff.

Safety first

There’s no way of getting around the first factor and its safety. If you’ve got an all-metal structure and there is a threat of lightning, whether it’s covered and dry or not, science says you’re in greater danger than you would be otherwise. Let’s assume, however, that you can be sure you’re safe and that your screened in porch or covered gazebo is a safe place from the weather you’re experiencing but still want to enjoy. Perhaps you want to get wet. In that case, there’s nothing extra you have to do. You’re already ready.

Wait ‘til the wet stuff stops

This almost is too simple to list, but it requires some thought to do it right if you don’t plan on getting wet. If you know you’re going to occasionally want to use the gazebo after rain (maybe you live in a place that rains almost every afternoon) then you need places to sit that can wipe down easily or cushions that can be stored and brought out for use quickly and without too much trouble. Shop accordingly for all-weather furniture and have a bin or sealable storage so that you can keep cushions, towels, cleaning supplies and anything else that you need to get the gazebo back into working order after the rain.

Turning shade into a shield

If you use a canopy as an extra shade on particularly sunny days, you may have an all-weather shield that you can set up as a rain shield. Sometimes the prevailing rain pattern only gets one side of the structure wet, but knowing where to place that shade/shield can regain use of the structure during the rain. Even a simple umbrella can do the job if the gazebo is small enough or the umbrella big enough.

Extra cover

If wind isn’t blowing rain sideways, you have plenty of options of keeping even an open air gazebo from getting too wet to enjoy during the rain. Depending on the size and shape of your structure, you can either buy pre-made “all-weather” coverings or contract a company to come out and tailor an all-weather solution just for your needs. Even small structures with open-air tops can be fitted with a heavy duty but clear cover to let you stay dry while looking at a falling sky.

Removable covers can sometimes be bought along with the gazebo itself, but there are ways to keep the water out, depending on how hard the rain is falling or the wind is blowing. Privacy curtains can sometimes do double duty, if they’re made of the right materials. Plan ahead and if privacy is a concern, make sure they are all-weather, but more than just to maintain the investment.

Rainproof canopies vary in price with size and durability and having to use them often might mean looking for a more permanent solution makes more sense.

Close it up tight

You do have another option. If you don’t already, enclose the gazebo. If it’s open-air, close the sides with screen and then also get shutters installed, preferably of some all-weather kind. If you like using it mostly in a wet weather climate, you want this done professionally in the same way you’d have a screened pool enclosure done.

It all depends on how and how often you want to use your gazebo, but you can still make the most of it on rainy day.

7 Tips to Get the Most from Your Gazebo This Summer

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No matter where you live, summer sounds like the most outdoorsy of seasons. You’re more likely to spend some time in the backyard whether you’re less than a mile from the mountains or a block from the beach.

With a gazebo, you’ll find your options for enjoying the warm weather grow and the more imaginative among us have ways to get the most out of those shady structures. We’ve collected some tips to help spark some super summer memories.

Be prepared

It’s a wonderful motto. If you’ve got power running to the gazebo, you may have outdoor friendly appliances already installed to store or prepare food, run fans or misters, or enjoy some music or television while outside. Maybe you’ll have to rely on an extension cord, but surveying your spot before the night of the big barbecue or a spontaneous garden party, you want to know just where things need to be set up and how much moving around you’ll need to do. There’s nothing like a last minute run to the hardware store to show you how a little preparation can save you a ton of trouble.

Make it your outdoor “home base”

Many a child has heard “close the door!” when the air conditioner is running. Why keep everything you need inside the house if you’re going to be spending time outdoors? The spot you pick for the gazebo is likely the centerpiece of attention, but even if it isn’t, you can use it as the center of action. Make a small list of the things you like to enjoy while outdoors or even just mental notes of all the things you tend to go back inside for when spending time outside. If you’ve got an all-weather container, it’s a great spot to place those items like bug spray, citronella candles, paper towels, plates and plasticware (maybe inside plastic bags, with some extras), garbage bags, hand sanitizer, beach towels – anything that makes sense to you. If you’re having a barbecue, you may not be able to cook the food inside, but you certainly can use it for seating or a place to lay out the food.

Keep an eye on the skies

Having an outdoor structure is great, especially if it’s completely covered and an afternoon shower suddenly shows up. Having a great gazebo doesn’t necessarily mean you can still use it the way you want to if the weather isn’t cooperating. It can still be dangerous to stay outside in a thunderstorm, but when the weather is fair, have a picnic basket ready to go so you can get the most out of your outdoor investment. If you’ve got the gazebo and the weather is great, think about having a late outdoor meal or hosting neighbors for dinners and drinks.

Consider comfort

Chances are that you want your gazebo to do more than look pretty. The choice of outdoor furniture to keep there or bring out when you want to use it can make a big difference. If you choose all-weather rugs and accessories and furniture, it’s probably hardier and harder to move, but having a sealed container to put nice comfy pillows and towels (that can be removed and stored to make it easier to enjoy in nice weather) should be something to consider. If you’re bringing the furniture out to the gazebo only when you want to use it, make sure it is light enough to be easy to move, but still be comfortable. There are plenty of camping chairs that do the job well and some even come with beverage holders.

Throw some (extra) shade

Even fully covered gazebos might let a ray of light in the wrong spot. You don’t have to stop at the gazebo. Still have some extra shade sources around. An pop up canopy can extend your shaded space and fit right next to the structure. Even just one extra beach umbrella can still come in handy and do double duty as insurance against the rain. Having a movable source of shade is a nice thing to go with the gazebo that most likely – and hopefully – won’t.

Stay warm when the sun sets

Sometimes there’s a big difference between the heat of the day and once the sun starts to set. If you live somewhere like that, you’ll want to have a heat source handy – even in the summer. It can be a portable one, but as always, consider safety first. If you’ve got open flames – maybe for a night of camping and s’mores – you probably can’t use it inside the gazebo and always make sure you observe the recommended distance. If you’re using a heat source inside the structure, you always want to make sure you can do so safely.

Don’t try to do too much

How big is the gazebo? If you bought it because the capacity was 10 people, you probably can’t really fit 10 chairs comfortably inside. If it doesn’t provide enough shade and protection from the weather, you might not be able to run power and watch TV in there. There’s ways to use it, but not every gazebo is the same. Sometimes those great Pinterest ideas just won’t work for your structure, so knowing what you can’t do with yours is very important, especially if what you can’t do makes things unsafe.