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Manufactured Housing

Secure your windows, then check insurance

By LEN BONIFIELD
Published June 10, 2006

Second of three parts.

Once you're sure your tie-downs are up to code and you have secured your carport, there are other steps to take to protect yourself and your home during a hurricane.

First, think about how you will protect your windows.

Plywood is an option, but you must put it up and remove it with every storm and find a place to store it in between. It is heavy and may be hard for one person to handle.

Another option is safety and security film.

A film such as 4-mil Armor Guard Mylar will protect against winds up to about 110 mph, said Rick Rickman, general manager of Pro Tech Coating Services in Pinellas Park.

"It's good in a real bad thunderstorm, a tropical storm, a Category 1 hurricane, almost a Category 2," Rickman said - situations when occupants don't evacuate and need protection. There's nothing, he said, "that will protect a home at 130 mph."

If struck by a piece of wind-borne debris, "the glass is going to break," Rickman acknowledged, but that missile "won't penetrate the glass" if the film is in place.

The film, installed on the inside of the window, will keep the shattered glass in place so the home's occupants aren't endangered by flying glass, and it will keep out rain.

The film is used by embassies and government buildings around the world as a security measure and as protection from bomb blasts. It prevents 99.7 percent of UV rays from entering the home, and the tinted version deflects 87 percent of solar heat, Rickman said.

Film is what is known as a "passive protection": It is there all the time, so the homeowner need do nothing when a storm approaches. It provides protection from burglars who try to break a window to enter the home. Some insurance companies offer a discount because of the film's security features.

For a typical manufactured home's 200 square feet of windows, the cost would be about $2,000, Rickman said.

If you live inland, away from the threat of a storm surge, you may want to consider a storm shelter for protection when you do not have to evacuate. If you are ordered to evacuate, do so at once.

Do an online search for "Florida storm shelters" and you'll find a number of sites offering both above-ground and in-ground shelters.

Here are other steps to take:

n Review your insurance coverage. What kind of coverage do you have: stated amount, actual cash value or replacement cost? Understand what each of these coverages mean. Does your insurance cover windstorm and hail damage? If your home is not properly anchored, insurance companies are prohibited from issuing this coverage.

Florida law authorizes insurance companies to discount annual premiums up to 10 percent for homeowners who provide proof of inspection of their tie-downs.

n What is your hurricane deductible? Typically this will be higher than and separate from your regular deductible. Damage caused by flooding is not covered by most homeowners policies, and you may need flood insurance even if you do not live in a flood zone. Check with your insurance agent. Flood insurance policies take effect 30 days after purchase.

n Make sure your personal property insurance covers loss due to windstorms and floods.

n Inventory your personal property using a videocamera or dated photographs.

Understand the "additional living expense" provisions of your policy, what it will pay and for how long if your home is destroyed.

Next: Evacuation, what to do during the storm, and what to do after.

Send comments or questions to Len Bonifield at elb@gate.net or write him at 2914 Dollar Bonnet Lane, Lakeland, FL 33810. Please include your e-mail and mailing address. Because of the volume of mail, he can't respond personally to every query. Bonifield is a manufactured home resident and a past HOA president and former officer of the FMO District 1 board of directors.

[Last modified June 9, 2006, 11:17:38]