(WSVN) - During high-intensity storms like Hurricane Irma, experts say those choosing to stay home and board up their homes should follow this advice: close all interior doors.
According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, high winds that storms like Irma produce can place homes under high pressure. This puts roofs at risk if those staying home attempt to open windows and doors.
In addition to warning residents to keep all exterior doors and windows closed during a hurricane, IBHS said their latest study showed that keeping interior doors closed gives a home’s roof a better chance of staying intact.
IBHS CEO Julie Rochman said in a news release, “The roof is your first line of defense against anything Mother Nature inflicts on a home, and during a bad storm your roof endures fierce pressure from wind, rain, and flying debris that may be outside. But the roof also must withstand internal pressure if winds get inside. The pressure in your home can build like air in a balloon, eventually causing the roof to fail and blow apart, which – particularly in a hurricane – allows water to come pouring in.”
According to IBHS, closing interior doors helps compartmentalize the pressure inside homes, reducing overall force on roof structures.
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