By Taivan Acer
With the latest trends in construction, people are starting to understand the benefits and appreciate the aesthetics of homes built in limited spaces. Thus, tiny home builders are finally getting the limelight they deserve. With that in mind and several novices getting into the hobby, too, it is important to know the proper safety measures and precautions one needs to follow to protect their tiny house against the harsh elements of nature.
Locational Measures
Build Underground
Building all or part of your tiny house underground allows your house to be more grounded and less susceptible to strong winds and flying debris. This also keeps your home naturally warm, thus reducing heating costs. It’s also a surprisingly effective build against earthquakes. The only cons are it makes your home prone to flooding during heavy rains and may get excessively hot during the summers.
Build next to larger and taller buildings
Tiny home builders can tactfully place their homes beside taller, larger buildings to shield them from storms and other unfavorable weather conditions. The only caveat being there’s a risk of debris falling on your house, so your roof needs to be solid and well-fortified.
Do not build near trees/ street lights/ electric poles
Avoid building homes near tall trees, streetlights, or electric poles for the same risk as in the above scenario. During a storm, they might fall and cause fire or injury or even just basic property damage.
Preventive Measures
Follow Guidelines
Follow the proper guidelines for building mobile homes or tiny homes. There are several experts in the field, and you can always get in touch with one or look at their guides online. For regions with severe weather conditions, you’ll also have to follow the guidelines provided by your state on how to protect your house correctly.
Vigilant Maintenance
Conduct regular and vigilant maintenance of your tiny house. Seal up any holes and cracks, tighten loosened screws, change rusty parts, and so on. It will not only keep your home safe but also prevent unforeseen accidents.
Use Detachable Features
If you are using modern fragile accessories like antennas or solar panels on your tiny house, it is recommended they are detachable. You can remove them from your outside attachments during a storm and bring them back in for safety. This prevents unnecessary breakage.
Defensive Measures
Get Insurance
In case you don’t want to be left helpless if your tiny house breaks or is destroyed, get insurance beforehand to cover your future losses and risks.
Use Shipping Containers
Shipping containers are made of steel, and as such, they make for very durable and convenient tiny homes. So if it’s possible and you have contacts and live near the sea, get a shipping container from one of the ships, and you’ll have a very reliable house.
Anchor your Tiny House
It’s always better to add more anchors to your tiny house and pin them to the ground against hurricanes and other strong winds. One can use steel fences, harnesses, or even basic clips and ropes to ground their houses against strong winds better.
Outbuildings
One must also remember to make sturdy outhouses like toilets, porches, storage, and so on. Only fortifying the main house isn’t enough, so the outbuildings must be fortified and made sturdy against the weather.
Use Hurricane Shutters, Tarpaulins, etc.
Expert tiny home builders recommend using the available equipment in the market for optimum protection of the house. These include hurricane shutters, tarpaulins, tent covers, heat shades, and so on.
Conclusion
Nature is harsh and unpredictable sometimes, so your tiny house needs to be sturdy for it all. With so many new novice tiny house builders on the rise, the experts have been all very welcoming of this change. The above guidelines are just some basic tips and tricks by the experts to help out the new generation.
