As the severity and frequency of extreme weather increases, it's important for homeowners to feel confident in the safety of their homes. But according to an industry survey by CertainTeed, "fewer than half (48%) of surveyed consumers who have noticed weather changes are very confident in their home's ability to endure extreme weather."

“It’s never too early to be prepared for an extreme weather event,” says Lucas Hamilton, manager of applied building science at CertainTeed / Saint-Gobain North America. “The minute you see a problem area in your home, you should address it.”

Waiting too long can leave your home vulnerable, but making smart updates will bring peace of mind and add value to your home. Although some of these projects might seem daunting, there are many updates you can make as part of routine home care and maintenance.

So do these upgrades depend on where you live? Short answer: Yes. “Many of these home updates for extreme weather are location dependent,” says Hamilton. For example: Fire-resistant building materials are more of a priority for homes in the Wildland Urban Interface (areas that experience wildfires), while impact-resistant roofing would matter more for areas impacted by tornados. FEMA’s National Risk Index is just one resource that can help you identify what extreme weather impacts to prepare for in your area.

Cost is another factor in prioritization. Some of these projects require more time, resources, and budget to complete, while other updates are smaller and less expensive. Similarly, you may not be eager to spend money to re-side or re-roof a house if those surfaces are still in good shape.

1. Upgrade Your Roof  

“The roof is the first line of defense on a home,” says Hamilton. Roof upgrades will significantly increase your home’s resilience in extreme weather, but as Hamilton notes, “It is important to select the right materials for your climate.”

Hamilton says to look for impact-resistant roofing with Class 4 impact rating for hail-prone areas, solar reflective shingles to combat increasing temperatures and solar heat, Class-F rated roofing for areas with strong winds like tornadoes and hurricanes, and fire-resistant materials to combat wildfires. Depending on the climate you’re contending with, there are multiple roofing materials to consider, from asphalt shingles to clay tiles and metal panels. Hurricane straps, or fasteners that further secure the roof to the house, are another feature you may see added to homes in areas with extreme wind.  

2. Improve Gutters

This is a smaller yet impactful home improvement project. Leaf filters help prevent blockages from developing in gutters, so water doesn’t get backed up during heavy rainfall. Hamilton recommends “improving exterior surface drainage to ensure rainwater from the gutters is directed away from the home’s foundation” to further boost the impact of your home’s gutters. 

3. Protect Vents

Where wildfires are a concern, adding fire-resistant vents and vent covers can make a big impact. Homes have numerous vents and openings that facilitate airflow but can also be entryways for floating embers. Vents and vent covers prevent those elements from finding their way into more vulnerable interiors. 

4. Strengthen Windows 

Replacing single-pane windows with double- and triple-pane windows will offer a lot in the way of energy efficiency, but there are multiple ways you can update windows to make them more durable for your home.

•  “Storm windows and doors play an important role in the fight against extreme weather,” says Hamilton. These items are added as protection essentially on top of existing doors and windows, either inside or outside the house. Similarly, storm shutters are more robust exterior additions, some of which have to be installed with advanced notice of a storm. 

• Another option is to replace standard windows with impact windows, which feature a heavy-duty frame and glass engineered to remain intact even when it breaks from strong impact. “Impact windows help protect your home against flying debris,” says Hamilton. 
• If new windows are not in your budget, there are still updates you can make. “First, use caulk to seal up any holes and cracks on the outside. Then apply weatherstripping and use a window or door insulation kit to block the cold and heat from the inside,” says Hamilton. “These changes help strengthen the barrier between your home and the outdoors, saving on heating and cooling and keeping the elements outside.”

5. Use the Right House Wraps, Flashings, and Underlayments

“When installing a new roof and siding to protect against extreme weather, you’ll want to select underlayments and housewraps that provide the proper protection against extreme weather,” says Hamilton, noting that this layer can help protect against hurricanes, snow storms, ice dams and wind driven rain. “Flashing and house wrap are a last line of defense, making sure water that does get past the outer layer doesn’t penetrate the home.”

6. Invest in Solar 

Investing in solar energy is an easy win for any climate region—regardless of whether you want to go fully solar or simply supplement your traditional grid power usage. Options include solar panels and even solar roof shingles that can withstand harsh weather conditions. How you go solar will impact the cost, but the effect is something that not only lowers your energy bills but positions you to carry on during weather impacts. “When paired with a battery storage unit, solar helps homeowners keep the lights on when facing power outages as well,” says Hamilton. 

7. Go for Steel Doors

To upgrade your home’s entry points, consider steel doors. Though they may lack the curb appeal of some more elaborate door styles, steel doors are a more durable material and withstand storms better than French doors and sliding patio doors, for example.

8. Consider Exterior Colors

Darker colors absorb light and collect heat, while lighter colors reflect light and reduce heat. Use this knowledge to pick the best roofing and siding colors for your climate or to inform installation and product decisions to make sure the colors won’t impact your home’s efficiency. “If choosing dark colors for your roof, use solar reflective shingles that won’t get as hot and heat up your attic below,” says Hamilton. “If using a dark color siding, install it over a ventilated airspace, or use vinyl siding, which is self-ventilated, so that when the siding heats up. [...]  it carries the heat away before it enters your wall.”

9. Upgrade Attic Insulation

Help combat both hot and cold temperature extremes—and the utility costs that come with them—by upgrading insulation in attics and crawl spaces. “This process causes very little disruption, and not only reduces your energy bills but improves comfort,” says Hamilton. “For example, if the power goes out during a blizzard in February and you lose your home heating, proper insulation helps keep warm air inside, keeping your family comfortable for longer while waiting for power to be restored.”

10. Direct Water Away from the Foundation 

Too much water around your home’s foundation can lead to cracks in the foundation as well as other serious structural concerns. “The amount of water in the ground after rain events is likely to increase and so is this problem,” says Hamilton. A helpful undertaking, says Hamilton, is to be sure that water is directed away from the house. This includes both water coming from the roof and gutters, as well as any surface water that runs across your yard. 

• Extend gutters away from the house. 

• Change the property’s grading and topography to better address runoff. 
• A sump pump is a wise investment if your basement has flooded before and it’s a damp environment or has moisture issues. A sump pump runs automatically to keep water out of a basement and away from the foundation, which becomes increasingly important amidst torrential rains, storms, and flooding. This is especially important for homes with basements and crawl spaces under the home that are below the water table.
• If the foundation remains wet despite water-diverting efforts, Hamilton suggests having the exterior of the basement wall waterproofed for added protection.

11. Install Resilient Siding 

“As the rains get heavier and the temperatures creep upwards, siding that stays dry and cool to the touch is key,” says Hamilton. How does your siding hold up to water? Hamilton suggests taking a walk around your home after a rain or snowstorm to see if your siding is wet and holding water. If so, consider upgrading to something that won’t absorb and hold water to keep the protective outer layers of your home intact. Depending on your location, you’ll want to look into durability and fire-resistance characteristics, too. Brick, fiber-cement, and metal siding are examples of materials to consider. 

12. Save Water

Extreme heat coupled with drought and water restrictions are impacting many areas of the U.S. Low-flow and more efficient water fixtures have been becoming the norm for years, but there are newer and more advanced updates that can help you manage water at home. Green Builder Magazine identified several smart approaches to water that come with varying levels of cost and installation requirements. 

• Greywater is the water that goes down your bathroom sink, shower, and tub drains and drains from appliances like your dishwasher and washing machine. Greywater recycling systems like those from Greyter or Saniflo repurpose water for activities like flushing toilets.

• Leak detection devices, Moen’s Flo smart water detector and Phyn’s Plus smart water assistant monitor your home’s water lines and usage and alert you when a leak is detected. Installed directly into your home’s piping system, they can also automatically shut off water if a major leak occurs, preventing major damage to your home’s structure and furnishings as well as a hefty water bill. 
• Rainwater collection is another simple way to sustainably address water concerns. This can be as simple as rainwater barrels to sustain gardening or a more robust rainwater harvesting system for your home.

13. Address Indoor Air Quality

Air purifiers can help remove the effects of extreme weather from inside your home by filtering smoke and pollutants or mold spores from wildfires, floods, and extreme water events. “They enter your home environment through cracks and gaps, impacting indoor air quality,” says Nicole Backus, product manager, home environment for Clorox Home Appliances. Smoke and pollutants irritate our lungs, so air purifiers can be a critical update for remaining comfortable in our homes in the midst of extreme weather. 

“Similarly to cigarette smoke, wildfire smoke and air pollution particulates can easily penetrate fabrics, accumulate on surfaces and walls, and it is difficult to clean and eliminate these odors,” says Backus. Backus says that running an air purifier can help reduce particles that settle on your home’s surfaces. 

Individual air purifiers are smaller, budget-friendly options, but they only address the space they’re used in. If you’re interested in a more substantial approach, look into upgrading to a more powerful HVAC system or whole-house air purifying and dehumidifying systems. 

14. Buy a Backup Generator

Areas prone to extreme weather are likely to experience power outages. A backup generator can help your home stay functioning when utilities are cut off. Supplemental power may keep appliances running to preserve perishable food, keep air purifiers working to protect your health, and keep the lights on at night or when visibility is low.

15. Create Resilient Landscaping

What you plant and where it's located factors into your home’s resistance to extreme weather. 

• Remove mulch and other flammable landscaping that can burn and ignite the side of the house. According to Enough is Enough, produced by Green Builder Media and the National Fire Protection Association, “Modifications to the immediate area around the home—perimeter of the structure out to about 5 feet—have proven critical to preventing or minimizing ignitions.” Learn more here about practical landscaping in the ignition zone (100-200 feet around the house).

• Incorporate native plants and grasses in your landscaping. According to Openlands, native grasses have deep roots that help them survive droughts as well as stand up to flooding by reducing soil erosion and increasing water filtration. 

16. Build a Resistant Deck

As direct extensions of the home, decks, porches, and patios make a house more vulnerable, so it’s important these outdoor structures can cope with extreme weather, too. Look for materials with Class-A flame-spread materials, which don’t burn as quickly as other materials with Class B or C ratings.

Another decking qualification is ignition resistance; this designation started in California and refers to a material’s resistance to catching fire. Generally, traditional wood materials are susceptible to water damage and prone to fire, but you’ll find more durable and fire-rated decking made of PVC, fiber cement, and aluminum, for example. 

Remember that the design of the deck matters, too. The area under the deck should not be combustible nor gather and keep water near the house. Patio furniture and furnishings, which can be both combustible and become a threat in dangerous high winds, should have an indoor storage location where you can safely remove these items from incoming weather.

For a home to truly stand up to extreme weather, it needs a good building envelope—and that means a number of updates may need to happen. It’s all about how the home’s interior and exterior work together as a whole, says Hamilton. For example, both impact-resistant windows and a durable roof help prevent damaging airflow and water from entering the house from a hurricane; fire-resistant building materials and landscaping help protect homes from the effects of wildfires. 

These building features work together to help you stay comfortable amid extreme weather as well as during recovery. “Very often, the power we need to actively create our comfort is lost during these times and we are left with nothing but the building envelope in between us and that wild world,” says Hamilton. “Creating a building envelope that drains rainwater and stays cool to the touch, is super insulated and air-tight, while able to 'breathe moisture' or transpire is likely to hold up better in these scenarios.” 

While smaller updates can certainly make an impact and shouldn’t be overlooked, Hamilton highlights the benefits of bigger projects that incorporate multiple updates. Accomplishing multiple upgrades can strengthen the building envelope, but there are other reasons to consider prioritizing bigger projects, too.

“You may wish to look at what other activities could be combined at the same time to conserve resources in the long run,” says Hamilton. Re-siding, adding exterior insulation, and replacing windows at the same time is one example. Together, these impactful updates can result in aesthetic updates, increased energy efficiency, and peace of mind for extreme weather. “The actions we can take to enhance our home’s resiliency in the face of an extreme event also increases the long-term value of our homes because they improve the general durability."

“When it comes to upgrades, they should be approached systematically, even though the improvements may be accomplished in stages,” advises Hamilton.

Updates that make your home more resilient are only part of being prepared for extreme weather. Diligent and attentive maintenance of your home and landscaping plays an equally critical role in securing safety. 

Hamilton notes a number of simple maintenance tasks that can help keep your home prepared for extreme weather. For example, inspecting the roof’s condition after storms, noting cracks, punctures, and sagging, as well as a lot of asphalt granules collected in the gutters, as indicators of damage. Similarly, routinely check trees on your property for damage, keep the gutters and roof free from debris like leaves and bird nests, and remove any dead grass or other vegetation that collects on decking or against the house.

It might seem tedious and simple, but frequently engaging in property maintenance can help the home be less combustible, less prone to preventable damage and flooding, and help you identify potential weaknesses in the building envelope. 

Considering extreme weather in your home design decisions may be unfamiliar, so take the time to learn more in order to make informed decisions about the features and materials of your home. “Research and reach out to manufacturers, their associations, and government research groups who are focused on this topic to make well-informed decisions in these critical investments,” says Hamilton. CertainTeed offers many resources to help homeowners navigate these decisions, including tools like Find a Pro, which locates credentialed contractors in the area. Organizations are also here to support homeowners: the National Fire Protection Association, for example, offers educational resources explaining how wildfires impact homes, as well as fact sheets and checklists for protecting your home.

Source: 16 Ways to Update Your Home to Prepare for Extreme Weather Better Homes & Gardens (June 6, 2024) Kristina McGurik