New Orleans inevitably quiets during the summer months as crowds thin and the summer heat takes hold. While travel plans take shape in homes across the city, planning for hurricane season is concurrently top of mind. This summer — as hurricane season begins — we’re checking in with local electrical and window professionals on the best ways to prep your home for the possibility of large storms and the power outages that accompany them.
New Orleans residents have been fortunate in recent years to encounter few major storms, especially ones that call for mandatory evacuations. During less severe storms, some families choose to leave town to avoid lengthy power outages while others choose to stay and rely on other sources of power for their homes. At Craig’s Electrical and Generator Service, Owner Craig Jacomine routinely sees a surge in demand the moment a named storm enters the Gulf.
“People sometimes think they can call us when a storm is three days out and have a generator installed before it hits,” he says. “That’s just not how it works.” Jacomine explains that a generator installation has to be permitted by the city or parish, which ensures the job is done safely and correctly. So how far in advance of hurricane season should homeowners act?
“We like to have installations completed at least four to five months before hurricane season — so ideally, you’re thinking about this in January or February at the latest,” he says. Advantages to acting early include better scheduling and attention from companies, a greater likelihood of off-season extended warranty promotions, and time allowance for permitting.
Jacomine recommends a whole-home standby generator over a portable generator. A natural gas standby generator kicks on the moment power goes out.
“For most homes in the Greater New Orleans area, a 22-kilowatt whole-home generator is our most popular recommendation for running the essentials — your AC, refrigerator, lighting, and basic outlets,” he says. “Now, if a customer has medical equipment in the home, that changes the conversation entirely.”
There’s no one-size-fits-all answer for customers installing generators, so proper site consultations are an integral part of the process. Prior to hurricane season, customers with previously installed generators need to make sure their standby generators have been properly serviced and documented.
When it comes to window protection, the industry is rife with marketing phrases like “storm ready,” “hurricane tested” and “hurricane rated.” According to Richard Maia, CEO at LAS Shutters + Windows, these terms go undefined in the industry and don’t mean anything tangible. Homeowners in the market for new windows will want to do a little research to avoid being fooled. Maia says the most meaningful references are test reports showing ASTM E1886 and E1996 protocols or a Florida building code listing. Maia adds that there are many different thicknesses and specs of laminated glass, so “laminated glass” is not specific.
What’s the difference between laminated glass and impact-resistant glass? According to Chandler Green, sales manager at Window World, standard laminated glass can be placed in a regular window frame and can help with sound and energy efficiency. While it will be okay for some storms, it is not an “impact resistant” window, which instead refers to an entire window system, frame and all, that has gone through rigorous third party testing.
