OVERLAND PARK, Kan. — Winds around the Kansas City region Wednesday could be strong enough to move patio furniture, barbecue grills, trampolines and other outdoor items.
Before leaving the house for the day, home inspector Nick Welty recommended every homeowner do three things.
First, bring any furniture inside the garage, a shed or an open area in the house. If moving the items inside is not an option, Welty recommended tying or otherwise securing those items in place.
“Anything that can come loose and, or get across the patio or deck, you want to get inside,” Welty, who founded his own home inspection company, said.
Secondly, check wooden fences and railings for loose pieces that could fly off in a big gust. Then remove those problematic pieces.
“These are just nailed on and could come disengaged, if, in fact, they were loose already, causing potential airborne damage,” Welty said while inspecting a deck railing.
Finally, take a quick picture of the roof with a smartphone. That way, should anything happen during the winds, homeowners will know what it looked like before.
“After the storm, come back out and double check all your shingles and roof penetrations are sealed so you don’t have any potential leak coming inside,” Welty said.
He also suggested using a local contractor instead of a “sales-minded, storm chasing” contractor, should the wind cause damage.
