Many common Homeowners Insurance claims can be prevented or mitigated by keeping up with the routine maintenance your home requires. Below are some common claims and how you can protect your home against them.
Water Back-Up
- Installing a new sump pump. (Note: This may not be enough to support adding Water Backup after a
loss, depending on what actually caused the loss.)
- Installing a Backflow Preventer or a Backwater Valve – This valve closes any time water comes in
it from the wrong course and will prevent sewage from entering the home until the sewer back-up is
resolved.
- Installing a Water Powered Sump Pump – This type of sump pump is powered
by city water pressure and do not require any power making them great in the event of electricity
losses.
- Installing a back-up system with a generator.
Why sump pumps fail:
1) Float switch is broken or stuck
2) Too much water overwhelming the pump
3) Clogged sump pump intake screen
4) Sump pump is air locked (on but not working)
5) Sump pump jammed by mud or stone
6) Power outage
7) Tripped circuit breaker or blown fuse
8) Sump pump burned out
9) Broken pump impeller or drive shaft
10) Clogged or frozen sump pump discharge
Lightning
- Using surge protections.
- Installing a lightning rod.
Roof
- The leading cause of roof damage results from lack of regular maintenance.
- Make sure shingles are intact and not lifting from the roof. Any dips or bowing is a sign of a
problem.
- Repair any shingles that have lifted, cracked, curled, blistered or that are
missing.
- Keep trees trimmed to prevent them from rubbing against the roof and to prevent excessive
debris buildup.
- Keep roof, valleys, gutters & downspouts free of leaves, twigs, etc. that can
build up and prevent proper drainage.
Fire
- Install and maintain smoke and heat detectors being sure to check the batteries.
- Buy a fire extinguisher and keep it in an easy to find location.
Miscellaneous
- Periodically perform external physical inspections of the dwelling.
- Remove dead or rotting trees and limbs.
- Make sure gutters are free of debris to ensure that water can run off the roof.
Regular maintenance in these areas can keep your home in good condition and prevent the additional costs associated with homeowners insurance claims.