What is a Wind Mitigation Inspection, and Why Do I Need One?
We have had episodes of catastrophic natural events brought on by climate change before. At times like this, your family’s safety depends on the strength of your house. Are you sure your home can withstand a hurricane or strong windstorm? An excellent way to analyze this is through wind mitigation inspections. Your house is subjected to many strong winds if you live near the sea.
Wind damage is not only limited to the uprooting of trees. Your home suffers a considerable amount of damage as well. You can analyze the ability of your home to withstand strong winds with a wind mitigation inspection in Orlando.
What is wind mitigation inspection?
A licensed engineer performs a wind mitigation inspection, checking whether your property is wind-resistant. It is essential to do so because strong winds can damage your property. The wind mitigation report gives you detailed information about the condition and proper installment of the windows, doors, and roof. Using this report, you can fix the property to withstand severe weather conditions.
A wind mitigation inspection report is considered valid for five years.
Some things inspected during the wind mitigation inspection are as follows.
- The connection between the roof and the wall
- Secondary water resistance
- Entry doors and garage doors
- Windows and other openings
- Roof coverings
- Building codes
- Shape of roofs
Why do you need to conduct a wind mitigation inspection?
Unlike 4-point inspection, which is mandatory for home insurance, wind mitigation inspection is not compulsory. However, if you conduct the inspection, there are ample benefits. Here are some reasons you need to perform a wind mitigation inspection.
To protect your house from heavy winds.
If you have bought a new house in a place that receives heavy storms often, you should consider conducting a wind mitigation inspection. As stated earlier, the inspector will thoroughly inspect your home to ensure it will withstand the strong wind.
We cannot determine whether the installation of the roof-wall-connect had accuracy because we lack the knowledge and technology. We need a professional service to do it for us.
If the report mentions specific changes and repairs to your house, you can get things done before it’s too late. Consult a wind mitigation service in Orlando to make your home wind-resistant.
Save money
Many people refrain from conducting a wind mitigation inspection because of the cost. However, making this investment beforehand will save you a lot of money in the long run.
Let’s say you assumed your house is in good condition and started living there. After a few months, your home was damaged badly due to heavy winds. Now you have to put in a lot of money and time to get the house repaired. Additionally, the insurance provider will interrogate you regarding the substandard condition of your home before the incident. Your ability to get the full insurance benefit may come under doubt.
A wind mitigation inspection will give you the information you need to take action to avoid such a situation.
When buying a used property
Every person with experience in buying and selling used properties would recommend that you conduct a home inspection when you buy a used property. There are a few reasons why. The most obvious reason is that you want to ensure the home requires no significant repairs.
You need to ensure that you are investing your hard-earned money in a good property, and a home inspection can help with that. Another reason is that you can negotiate the price if the property has minor or major repairs.
To identify the extent of recent wind damage.
If your area has had a windstorm or heavy wind recently, checking for any small and big damages to the house is a smart move. It may be difficult for you to tell whether the walls can withstand another windstorm or not.
An inspection will give you information about the damage to your home, allowing you to get a clear picture of the consequences of the storm. Moreover, if there are any cost-heavy damages, you might be able to claim insurance.
Helps you attract buyers when selling the property
A lot of people put their properties on online real estate websites. Since it’s online, buyers need something that makes them believe the property is good. Images and descriptions can lie. Many buyers think the property is too good to be real. In such scenarios, a wind mitigation certificate from a certified inspector becomes very useful. People will get a clear idea of the house’s condition, helping you sell your home fasters. A lesser-known fact is that many buyers don’t even consider checking the house on sale if it doesn’t have an inspection report.
Wind mitigation credits
If you have bought a house and got it insured, you are probably aware that the insurance company demands a 4-point inspection report. However, wind mitigation inspection is optional.
But if your house suffers damage due to a windstorm or a similar calamity, you may need a wind mitigation report. Such a report proves that your house was repaired to be wind-resistant and will help you claim the total insurance amount.
Bottom line
A wind mitigation inspection report is usually valid for five years. So after every five years, you’ll have to conduct an inspection. Many people might consider this an additional expense because the report is optional for insurance. With this post, we hope we could shed light on why you need professional help to conduct inspections for wind mitigation in Orlando.