Protect your home from hurricane damage
What is my home at risk for?
Weather damage is every homeowner’s nightmare, and in Florida, there are increased risks to your house’s structural integrity. The tradeoff for beautiful beaches and warm ocean waters means a higher instance of severe weather, including the often notoriously unpredictable hurricane.
Hurricanes bring with them a lot of risks and while most people focus on the flooding, high winds are also a huge issue for homes in the Sunshine State. As most Floridians are painfully aware, each Atlantic hurricane season brings on average over a dozen storms.
What can hurricane wind damage do to my home?
Wind is more destructive than many people realize, as a lot of the damage it causes is indirect. If your home is exposed to high winds over time or extreme winds during storms, you may be at risk of the following:
1. Roof damage:
High winds can lift or remove shingles, tiles, or other roofing materials, leaving the house vulnerable to water damage. In a best case scenario, you’ll be left with some shingles that need replacing, and in severe cases the structural integrity of the roof can be compromised.
2. Siding and Window Damage:
Siding on homes can be ripped off, torn or dented from flying debris and high winds. Windows can also be broken or shattered, leaving the interior exposed to the elements. This is especially troublesome if you’re away when the damage happens, leaving your home’s interior exposed to the elements for a prolonged period of time.
3. Trees and Debris:
High winds can cause trees and other debris to fall, damaging the roof, walls, and windows of a home, as well as blocking driveways and walkways. Any cars or other vehicles sitting in those driveways are also at risk of damage.
4. Power outages:
High winds can cause power outages by damaging power lines and electrical transformers. In some instances, this can even lead to fires, compounding the damage to your home.
5. Damaged walls:
It’s not just roofs that wind can tear up. The very walls of your home may crack during extreme wind exposure, leaving them vulnerable to leaks and other problems.
6. Flooding:
Even if the wind damage is as minor as a few broken windows, this can still allow water to seep in, causing water damage or even a full flood.
What is the My Safe Florida Home Program?
Prevention is always the best medicine, including in home repair. Unfortunately, it can be easy to postpone spending the money to weather-proof your home and gamble on staying out of the path of Gulf Coast hurricanes.
Through the My Safe Florida Home Program, Florida’s legislature hopes to help homeowners better protect their homes from hurricane damages without breaking the bank. The program offers single-family homeowners the opportunity to apply for a courtesy inspection and, pending results, receive compensation for following through with weather-proofing improvements on their property in the form of a free grant.
What services does the My Safe Florida Home Program cover?
If approved, you could receive grant funding for the following improvements to your home:
- Secondary water resistance (roof installation)
- Upgraded roof coverings
- Reinforced roof to wall connections
- Exterior and garage door updates
- Reinforced roof deck attachments
- Window upgrades
All of these offerings can greatly improve your home’s chances of weathering a storm and cut down on expenses when damages do occur.
Who is qualified to apply?
Not all properties qualify for this program, which was specifically designed to help families and individual homeowners. To qualify, your home must be single family and site-built.
Single family
This free grant is intended for use on primary homes for single families. This means the main dwelling where you and your family live.
Site built
Applicable homes must be site-built, which means they have been constructed on their permanent location and are not mobile in any way.
Some examples of properties that do not qualify as site-built, single family homes are:
- Mobile homes
- Manufactured homes
- Secondary or vacation homes
- Rental properties
- Apartments/Condominiums
- Uninsured properties
- Businesses
- Multi-family homes and dwellings
First come first served
The My Safe Florida Home Program does not compare homeowners and their needs directly against each other or make any priority decisions based on income, location or other factors. Instead, the money is allotted on a first come, first served basis until the funds are depleted.
This means you do not want to wait to get your initial application pending!
How can I apply for a grant under the My Safe Florida Home Program?
You may fill out your application online or call the Department’s toll free number (1-866-513-6734) to get started. You will be asked to provide preliminary information about your home, homeowner’s insurance and general property information. Ensure that this information is accurate so you do not risk delaying your application and missing out on your opportunity for the wind inspection and free grant.
The five-step process
The full process, from initial application to completed home improvement, looks like this.
Step one: Apply
Inspection applications may be found on the My Safe Florida Home Program website. You may also access them through the financing options on our website.
If your application arrives too late and funding has already been depleted, you will be notified.
Step two: Schedule your inspection
The Department will review your application and get back to you regarding your eligibility. If your home qualifies, you will be given instructions on how to book your inspection from the assigned inspection firm.
Accuracy is incredibly important on your application. Any discrepancies will be noted and sent to you. You will have a chance to correct them, but remember that funding is limited, and having to re-apply could jeopardize your eligibility to get funding.
Note: You must utilize the inspection firm sent to you by the program. Independent inspections will not be reimbursed and will not qualify you for further grants through the My Safe Florida Home Program.
What will the free wind mitigation inspection provide me with?
The results of your inspection will cover a broad range of information regarding your home’s current condition as it relates to potential wind damage. This can include:
- A full summary of all findings
- Recommendations for improvements
- An estimated range of costs for the suggested improvements
- Information about how to potentially lower insurance premiums through the proposed mitigation actions
Completing your free home inspection does not obligate you to follow the recommended repairs or upgrades to your residence. Grant money, however, will only be considered for the needs identified by the inspection.
Step three: Apply for your free grant
Your free wind mitigation inspection does not guarantee the approval of a grant. After the completion of your inspection, you will need to submit an application for grant funding. Do so by logging back into the application portal on the My Safe Florida Home Program website.
Step four: Select an approved contractor
You must work with an approved contractor partnered with the My Safe Florida Home Program. Planet Roofing is proud to be working with this grant program to repair, reinforce and rebuild roofs with quality materials and expertise.
You will be asked to select three approved contractors and send in quote requests using a predesigned template. After receiving the quotes, you may select the contractor of your choice to complete the designated mitigation work. The work must all fall under the covered categories of the My Safe Florida Home Program.
Upon completion of the contract work and any applicable local building inspections, you will then pay the contractor.
Step five: Submit final approval for free grant reimbursement
The free grant through this program pays out as a reimbursement. So after work is completed and paid for, you will submit your final request for reimbursement. You can once again do so via the program’s application page after logging in on their website.
Save money with a safer home and lower insurance
Investing in your home’s preparedness for hurricane weather is a smart money move. Not only will you mitigate damage to your home in the future, but you may have lower insurance premiums, as well, especially if you pay for windstorm insurance.
Planet Roofing is proud to partner with the My Safe Florida Home Program to offer premium roof services to Floridians. A strong roof is the first defense against a lot of hurricane, wind and water damage, so don’t delay. Whether you qualify for the My Safe Florida Home Program or not, give us a call today to see how your home could benefit from our experienced roofing professionals.
