How Winter Damage Can Hurt Your Property

Posted in Home Insurance

January 19th, 2010

Snow can be beautiful, but when it covers every inch of your home and property, it can potentially cause much damage. Winterizing (or winter-proofing) your home is an important step to take prior to the first snowfall of the season. Additionally, by taking the proper precautions to winter-proof your home and minimize any chance of winter damage, you can save money on your homeowner’s insurance premiums due to a number of factors.

Most Common Winter Damage

Some common winter home damage that may result in increased insurance rates include:

• Frozen Pipes: The fact is water will freeze and convert to ice when temperatures drop far enough. When that occurs in your plumbing system, it is actually not the ice that causes problems but the increased pressure that forces the water downstream, which may result in a burst pipe. Upon that eruption, flooding can cause significant amounts of damage to your property and personal items.
• Improperly Protected Heat Sources: Annual maintenance of your furnace (including filters and duct cleaning), and your fireplace/chimney (cleaning, opening the flue, repairing any cracks) are a must for fireproofing your home. If those sources aren’t well maintained, a fire can occur.
• Roof Maintenance: If your roof is not properly reinforced, a collapse is possible. Another scenario involves a spring thaw and leakage directly into your home. When that happens and the repairs are too costly, making an insurance claim is tempting.
• Tree Trimming: Just like your roof, tree branches can buckle under the weight of the snow. Not only do you need to think about your home insurance rates escalating, your auto insurance rates could also rise depending on where you park your vehicle when not in use.

Preventative measures to mitigate winter damage to your home will not only prevent escalating insurance rates, but also provide you with an additional peace of mind.

Has your home been damaged significantly in the past by winter conditions?