Homeowners: Beware Winter Property Damage
With cold weather on the horizon for most of the United States, homeowners should take action to lower the risk of property damage by inspecting their home and property to avoid expensive repair bills.
Cleveland, OH (PRWEB) November 4, 2008 -- Ice, snow and wind can have devastating effects on a home. According to the Insurance Information Institute, wind, hail, water damage and freezing account for 40-60% of homeowners' insurance losses each year, with an average claim severity of $6,602.
"There are simple steps homeowners should take now to prepare for winter and avoid costly damages," advises Kylene Golubski, VP Business Planning & Development, Inspect-It 1st. "The most common problems include freezing pipes, roof and awning collapses, snow melt leakage, and damage from trees and limbs."
"People typically think of a home inspection when they are either buying or selling," states Golubski. "Home inspectors can also help homeowners protect their home investment ongoing through annual maintenance inspections. You go to the doctor for a check-up, get tune-ups for your car, but what are you doing to maintain your home? The old adage applies: 'An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.'"
There are several things that homeowners can do to help protect their home from winter property damage. The following are suggestions made by the Insurance Information Institute:
1. Clean out gutters. Remove leaves, sticks and other debris from gutters, so melting snow and ice can flow freely. This can prevent ice damming--a condition where water is unable to drain through the gutters and instead seeps into the house causing water to drip from the ceiling and walls.
2. Install gutter guards. Available in most hardware and home stores, "gutter guards" prevent debris from entering the gutter and diverting the flow of water away from the house and into the ground.
3. Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind can cause weak trees or branches to break, causing damage to your home or car, as well as injury to people on your property.
4. Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations. Use caulking to protect water pipes and make sure that skylights and other roof openings have proper weather stripping to prevent snowmelt from seeping in.
5. Keep the house warm. Set the thermostat for at least 65 degrees, since the temperature inside the walls, where the pipes are located, is substantially colder--a lower temperature will not keep the pipes from freezing.
6. Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof. Water can then refreeze, causing more snow and ice to build up. This can result in a collapsed roof, and can contribute to ice damming. Ideally, the attic should be five to 10 degrees warmer than the outside air. Well-insulated basements and crawl spaces will also help protect pipes from freezing. You may also consider insulating unfinished rooms such as garages to keep pipes from freezing.
7. Have the heating system serviced. Furnaces, boilers and chimneys should be serviced at least once a year to prevent fire and smoke damage.
8. Check pipes. Look closely for cracks and leaks and have the pipes repaired immediately. Wrap exposed pipes with heating tape to insulate them.
9. Install an emergency pressure release valve in your plumbing system. This will protect against the increased pressure caused by freezing pipes and can help prevent your pipes from bursting.
10. Make sure that smoke and fire alarms are working properly. Residential fires increase in the winter, so it is important to protect your family with working alarm systems. Also, consider installing a carbon dioxide detector, since a well sealed home can trap this toxic gas.
For expert insights on property-related issues or to find the property inspector nearest you, please call 877-392-6278 or visit www.inspectit1st.com. To learn more about the Insurance Information Institute, please visit www.iii.org.
Inspect-It 1st® is a rapidly growing franchise system of home inspectors offering property inspections for homeowners and business owners, and is a subsidiary of Merrymeeting, Inc. (MMI), a Cleveland-based investment firm specializing in the acquisition and development of franchise brands. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. MMI currently operates seven franchise systems with more than 1,700 franchised locations worldwide. To learn more, please visit www.inspectit1st.com or www.merrymtg.com.
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