Tag Archives: Weather

Can Your Home Insurance Stand Up To The Weather?

Can Your Home Insurance Stand Up To The Weather?

In 2004, the insurance industry estimated that about 45% of their settled claims were for damages caused by weather. This past January, that percentage climbed as high as 60%, with a possible £300 million worth of damages being claimed by homeowners for weather related incidents.

Is your home covered against damage from high winds? Will your insurance company pay out to repair damage caused when your plumbing freezes? How much will you have to pay out of pocket for repairs if heavy snow takes out your rain gutters or damages your roof?

If you’re not sure of the answers to those questions, it might prove enlightening to pull out your home insurance policy and have a read. According to an industry spokesman, too many homeowners find out what their buildings insurance does and doesn’t cover after they have incurred a loss and submitted a claim. That’s the case for many homeowners who suffered damage to their homes during the high winds of the past January who found, to their shock, that they’d be bearing the brunt of the repair bills from their own pockets.

In fact, the most recent figures suggest that over one third of homeowners have no home insurance at all, and many more are paying out for policies that don’t adequately cover the damages that they might face from adverse weather.

Home insurance policies vary widely on precisely what weather damage they cover, and how much you’re expected to pay out before the insurance company will pay its share. That’s why it’s important to sit down with your policy or your broker – or both – to discuss precisely how much coverage you have for weather-related damages, and if there are limits and exclusions to that cover. Some of the most common exclusions and limits include:

Damage from floods

If you live in an area with a high possibility of flooding, you may need to purchase separate cover to deal with damage from flooding. It’s vital that you not neglect this, say insurance spokesmen. The cost of repairing damage after a flood can easily run to £30,000 or more. Compare that to the average weather related claim of about £500.

Water damage from burst pipes

Watch for limits on the amount of damages you can claim if your pipes freeze and burst. A burst pipe in your loft can quickly damage walls and ceilings, and result in unhealthy growth of mold and mildew if not cleaned properly. The cost of all those repairs can easily and quickly mount above typical limits on damages.

Contents cover

If you only have buildings insurance, you may find yourself out of luck when damage to your roof results in the destruction of your expensive draperies, carpets and furnishings. Even if you carry cover for your home contents, you may want to carry extra insurance if you own expensive items like Oriental rugs or fine artwork.

Outdoor and garden items

Many policies only cover items inside your home from weather damage, while other policies will even pay to replace plants damaged by storms in severe weather. If you’re an avid gardener, or have outdoor patio and yard equipment, consider a policy that includes garden cover.

Be sure to review your policy periodically to be certain that you’ve kept it up to date, especially when you make new purchases or add an extension to your home.

Cold Weather and Frozen Pipes

Cold Weather and Frozen Pipes

Cold weather is a big problem for home and property owners- especially if you’ve moved and your home is setting empty. Why? PLUMBING!
If your home gets too cold, the water in your pipes can freeze overnight and then burst in the day when it warms back up. This leaves the potential for extensive flooding and water damage to your home. The pipes you need to be most concerned about are those that have the most exposure to the cold — outdoor hose faucets, swimming pool supply lines, underground sprinkler systems, and plumbing in unheated basements, crawl spaces, attics and garages. Pipes that run against exterior walls are also at risk.
What to do…
When it’s cold outside, you should periodically check all the faucets in your home. If it doesn’t work or water is just a trickle you may have frozen water in your pipes. Attempt to locate the frozen area by looking in the area most likely to freeze- i.e. the coldest. Use a heat lamp, space heater, hair dryer or electrical heat pad to begin to thaw out the pipes. Remember to keep the faucet open as you work. That’s because running water will help melt the ice faster. Apply heat until full water pressure is restored, then consider going to your neighborhood hardware store to purchase insulation for the areas of the pipe that froze (to help prevent it from happening again).
DO NOT use any sort of blow torch or open flame to warm the pipes. I can not stress this enough, so let me say it again. DO NOT use an open flame. First off, an open flame is a fire hazard and if you are working in a confined area there is a threat of carbon monoxide poisoning. Every year there is a story in the news of some person burning down their home or suffocating themselves to death while working on frozen pipes.
The second reason not to use an open flame is if it gets too hot you can melt your pipes (especially PVC plastic pipes). Third, too much heat too quickly creates the potential for an explosion. That’s because water expands as it gets hot. A blow torch or other device will cause the water to boil, and boiling water trapped in the middle of a frozen pipe has no place to expand- so it explodes.
The last piece of advice is always the best… If you fail to unthaw the pipe, call a licensed plumber before the pipe breaks.
How to keep it from happening…
– Your home should have inside valves on your outdoor water supply lines. Close them, then open the outside faucet and let the water drain. Leave the outside faucet open all winter.
– Drain and store outside garden hoses.
– If you haven’t already done so, drain the water from your swimming pool and lawn sprinkler system. As mentioned above, insulate plumbing that’s most susceptible to freezing. You can find supplies at your local hardware store, Home Depot, or Lowes.
– During severe cold weather, let the faucets drip. Although it’s no guarantee, even a trickle of water can help prevent pipes from freezing and an open faucet gives the water someplace to run once it starts to warm up.
– Keep the home temperature set to no lower than 55 degrees Fahrenheit. I know it’s tempting to turn the thermostat down when you leave town for a few weeks or if you have an unsold home that is setting empty, but the higher heat bill is quickly offset by the cost of repairing a pipe and cleaning up water damage.
– Lastly, if you experience flooding or water damage from a broken pipe, be sure to watch the home for mold or mildew. Black mold can be a serious after effect to a flooded home that’s far worse to deal with than the actual water damage.

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