5 Tips on How to Prevent Property Damage this winter
If you haven’t made the necessary preparations, the upcoming winter season will bring colder temperatures, which might cause damage to your property. If you want to protect your property from the effects of cold weather and prevent damage, follow these five tips.
1. Keep the Heat in Your Pipes
The typical insurance claim for damage caused by frozen pipes comes to a total of $18,000. This makes frozen pipes one of the most expensive damages that may be caused by cold weather. If a pipe freezes and then breaks due to the cold, it can result in a whole host of other issues, including damaged drywall, internal flooding, and mould growth, among other things. You may prevent your pipes from freezing by ensuring that they are adequately insulated, turning off the inside valves leading to the outside spigots (hose bibs), and then opening the hose bibs so that the water can drain out. Even while you are away on vacation, you should make sure that the temperature in your home is maintained at at least 65 degrees. If you are concerned about a pipe freezing while you are gone, leave a slow trickle of water coming from the faucet. Because of this, a continual flow of water will be maintained through the pipe, making it more resistant to freezing. In addition, the majority of pipes are hidden away in cabinets, which might prevent heat from escaping. Therefore, it is a good idea to keep the doors of the internal cabinets open so that heat may continue to pass to the pipes.
In order to prevent heat from escaping and cold from entering, it is important to inspect the area and the walls around your pipes and to caulk any holes or gaps that you find. In conclusion, you can apply heating tape to your pipes or additional insulation to further ensure that they remain warm.
2. Take care of your trees and make sure your gutters are clean.
In the winter, trees can also be a source of damage, with estimates placing the cost of repairs anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000. The weight of snow and ice, the wind from winter storms, plus the fact that cold temperatures lead branches to become brittle can easily cause dead or weak limbs to break off and crash into your home or vehicle. To prevent this from happening, set aside a day to prune and remove any branches that could be dead or weak that are located on or near your property or the area where you park your vehicle. It is essential to direct melting snow and rain away from the foundation of your house. Ice dams and improperly directed water from your roof, gutter system, and down spouts can lead to long-term problems such as wet basements and sagging soil conditions, both of which cause water to pond against the foundation and lead to serious moisture problems. Ice dams can also cause serious structural damage to your home.
3. Maintain Your HVAC
Not only is it necessary to have heat circulate throughout your home so that you can remain comfortable, but it is also important so that your pipes do not freeze. Even just one day without heat can result in costly damage, and if your furnace breaks down, it can be very expensive to get a new one. Because of the dryer air, you should plan routine maintenance checks on your furnace and replace its air filter more frequently than usual. This will ensure that your furnace is operating correctly and will extend its lifespan. A dirty filter not only decreases the system’s efficiency but also the airflow, and it can even cause the system to become blocked itself.
4. Review Your Current Insurance Policy
Nobody wants their property to be harmed by the cold weather or have to file a claim on their insurance policy because of it. However, in the event that you do find yourself in this circumstance, you will want to be fully aware of all that your policy covers. Call your insurance provider to go over the contents of your policy, and make sure to ask about coverage for the many types of damage that can occur during the winter. It is also a good idea to inquire about the typical claims that are filed during this time of year in your region and determine whether or not your policy covers such claims.
5. Have A Backup Plan
If severe weather hits during the winter and causes damage to your property, the last thing you want is to be trapped inside with nowhere to go. Make sure you have a contingency plan ready in case your property becomes unusable. Check with your insurance company to see what kind of assistance they can offer, and make sure you have a plan in place for anything else that might come up. Make contact with members of your family and close friends, look for a hotel in the area, and have a bag ready to go that contains all of the necessities. It is important to let everyone on the land know about the plan and to establish a meeting place as soon as possible. If you follow these guidelines on how to protect your property from the effects of cold weather, you will not only reduce the likelihood that your property will be harmed as a result of the cold, but you will also save yourself both time and money in the long term. If you have any concerns or would want more information on how to get your property ready for winter, please do not hesitate to contact us.