Is your home ready for hurricane season? Hurricane season starts around June 1st and experts forecast that storm seasons will only increase in intensity and damages. When combined with the infrastructural vulnerabilities that have been uncovered in Florida, this underscores the ongoing need for storm preparation and resiliency measures in Floridian homes.
There are many ways to make a hurricane-proof house that will reduce the potential for damage when, not if, the next storm hits. Preparation is key, and as hurricane season runs through summer and into late fall (November 30th), the time to consider installing these home storm hardening measures is now! Good news, PACE financing has got your home hurricane protection covered.
Hurricane Resiliency: Windows, Doors & Roofs
The windows and doors of a home are particularly vulnerable areas during the high winds, heavy rain, and debris of a tropical storm or hurricane. Storm windows and shutters, hurricane doors, and wind-resistant shingles can be one of the first lines of defense, fortifying the barrier between the high winds outside and the indoor living space.
To date, over 2,500 hurricane-impact windows and doors and over 2,000 new and reinforced roofs have been installed into Florida homes using PACE financing. Find out all the ways you can hurricane-proof your home with PACE:
High Impact Windows
High-impact storm windows are designed and tested to withstand wind speeds upwards of 110 miles per hour. In addition to protecting your home from high wind speeds and heavy rainfall, some of these home safety upgrades can also increase the efficiency of your home. According to ENERGY STAR, replacing single-pane windows with double-pane high impact windows can offer $101 to $583 per year in energy savings.
Depending on the size and scope of your project, upgrading to hurricane windows can cost anywhere from $2,000 to $10,000, which makes the no upfront costs of PACE financing attractive for improving your whole home.
Wind-Resistant Doors
It is not just windows that can be vulnerable to high-force winds. With PACE financing, you can strengthen your home with both wind-resistant doors and garage doors. Local codes will determine the minimum wind resistance that needs to be met. In some areas, wind-resistant or impact-resistant garage doors need to withstand winds up to 130 MPH or even 150 MPH if you live in Miami-Dade, though some doors can withstand winds up to 200 MPH or a Category 5 hurricane.
Roof Upgrades and Replacement
PACE financing offers options to upgrade or replace your roof in preparing to protect your home from hurricanes. A hurricane can cause serious damage to your roof, and with no money down with PACE could help you significantly improve the safety of your roof. Even better, hurricane roof protection and other hurricane resiliency measures are also attractive upgrades for your home insurance provider – potentially a 10% -15% reduction.
Roof Upgrades that qualify:
- Roof Deck Attachment Strengthening – helps prevent shingles being blown-off in high winds
- Secondary Wave Barrier – helps prevent water damage by creating a barrier on your roof deck
- Gable-End Bracing – reduces the risk of collapse
- Wind-Resistant Roofing and Shingles – increases resiliency as they are designed for high wind conditions compared to traditional shingles
200,000+ Homeowners Have Utilized PACE
As of 2019, over 200,000 homeowners have made $5 billion in energy efficiency upgrades and other improvements to their homes through PACE financing.
In Florida, homeowners are using the 100% upfront financing and no money down opportunities of PACE to install hurricane impact windows and doors, new and reinforced roofs, and other qualifying hurricane-resistant measures like storm shutters and secondary water barriers. Almost 4,500 storm hardening and resiliency projects have been completed using PACE financing, representing over $100 million invested.
See the full list of upgrades that qualify for PACE here.
Through PACE, these upfront costs are paid back over time at a low, fixed-rate and are built-in as a line item on your property taxes. There are also many safeguards built into PACE to protect homeowners from confusion when it comes to their home improvement financing as well as unsatisfactory contractor work. When compared to other financing options, PACE stands out for its competitive interest rates, term lengths, and the fact that the borrower’s credit history does not primarily determine interest rates.
