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 Surviving
Severe Winter Weather
Severe winter weather can inflict considerable damage to your home. Here are
some tips to keep your home and possessions safe during severe weather.
Protecting your home
Clean snow and ice from sidewalks and entrances.
Keep steps and hand railings in good repair.
Clean gutters to keep them free of leaves and
debris to prevent ice dams which cause water to
build up and seep into the house.
Keep the house heated to a minimum of 65 degrees.
The temperature inside the walls where the pipes
are located is substantially colder than the walls
themselves.
Open hot and cold faucets enough to let them drip
slowly. Keeping water moving within the pipes will
prevent freezing.
Disconnect all hoses from outside faucets.
Identify the location of the main water shutoff in
case you have to use it.
If your garage is attached to the house, keep the
garage doors closed. The door leading to the house
is probably not as well-insulated as an exterior door.
Remove dead tree branches. Ice, snow and wind
could cause them to break, damaging your house,
car or someone walking near your property.
Keep fireplaces, wood stoves and kerosene and
electric heaters working properly. Have chimneys
cleaned annually.
Remember to close the flue in your fireplace when
you are not using it.
If you have to leave your home for more than 24
hours, you will need to take extra precautions.
° Keep the temperature at a minimum 65 degrees.
° Ask a neighbor to check the house regularly. If
there is a problem with frozen pipes or
water
leakage, attending to it quickly could mean
far
less damage.
° If you plan to be away for an extended period
of time, have the water system drained by a
professional to keep pipes from freezing or
bursting.
Check with us to be sure you are covered.
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Insuring
Your Electronics
As the holiday shopping season is coming to a close, about 42 million
American households plan to give or receive high-tech electronic products
this year. Most electronic gadgets are typically covered under the standard
homeowners or renters policy. However, there are some common and important
exceptions that many consumers dont understand.
Digitally downloaded data: These are not generally covered
under the usual homeowners or renters policy. Consumers need to think about
the value of their iTunes, downloads, and other data, as well as the time it
would take to recover that material. Even in cases of fire, windstorms, and
theft, when your computer is covered, downloads are not usually included.
Although a few companies now offer some coverage for digital data, that
coverage is limited and may not allow for full replacement or recreation.
Electrical power surges: More than half of Americans
mistakenly believe that their insurance coverage would protect their
electronics from an electrical power surge. However, the vast majority of
renters and homeowners policies exclude sudden loss or damage to electronics
from changes in artificially generated electrical current.
Deductibles: For most standard homeowners and renters
policies: the usual deductible is higher than the cost of many single
electronic gadgets.
Exclusions and perils: Although electronics gear is typically
covered under a homeowners or renters policy, the same exclusions apply to
these items. Your electronics will not be covered in cases of flood,
earthquake, mudslides, and some other specific disasters or circumstances.
Business use: Homeowners and renters policies are designed for
personal use. Coverage for computers and other electronic item used for
business in the home is often very limited (usually $2,500 on premises and
$250 for items outside of the home).
Gift cards: Holiday shoppers nervous about giving electronics
that could be an insurance risk may choose gift cards instead for their
friends and loved ones. They should be aware, though, that most homeowners
and renters policies treat gift cards the same as cash, reimbursing just
$200 in total, no matter how many cards are lost or stolen. Be sure and save
all receipts and find out the stores own policy for lost or stolen cards at
the time of purchase.
Source: Trusted Choice,
www.TrustedChoice.com. |
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