4 Tips for Prevention & Recovery from Winter Storm Property Damage
The winters can be hard on everyone. While not all of us deal with cold climates that bring snow and ice, there’s no doubt that winter storms — icy or not — can dish out significant damage to our homes and investment properties. While property maintenance is 100% essential year-round, it’s especially important to step up your game during the winter months.
Prevention is the best cure, but we can’t always win against Mother Nature. In order to mitigate damages, prepare and be vigilant. In case of damage, there are steps you can take the ensure that you keep repair costs down.
Are you prepared to deal with winter storm damages?
4 Essential Winter Storm Property Damage Tips
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Know Your Coverage
How well acquainted are you with your insurance policies? The number one way to mitigate repair costs is to have solid insurance coverage for property damages. Bursting, frozen pipes can run you nearly $20,000 (the average insurance claim is $18,000), mostly due to water damages to flooring and drywall, and collapsing trees can cost anywhere from $3,000 to $10,000, depending on your region.
Even if you’re well-covered, there’s likely a deductible included. Keep in mind, too, that many specific damages aren’t covered by most policies. Pay attention to details — you may need to look into specific coverages in the form of special policies or “endorsements” on an existing policy.
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Pay Mind to Landscaping
Trees can be a huge problem during the winter months. Whether caused by a strong storm of the weight of snow and ice, large branches — if not entire trees — are prone to collapse. You definitely don’t want branches damaging (or going through) your roof! Here, it’s best to prepare beforehand. If you know a storm is on the way, be sure property maintenance has inspected the state of your trees. Do any branches hang far over the property? Are there already loose or falling branches that haven’t been dislodged from the tree? Be sure these are all trimmed and removed.
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Do a Thorough Inspection
After a harsh winter storm, it’s vital to have an inspection done. Many winter home damages can be sneaky and difficult to detect. If you can, check the roof. Look for cracked or miss shingles that can be taken off by high winds or otherwise damaged during the winter.
By the same token, inspect the foundation walls for any cracks. Don’t panic if you find a few — but have an eye kept on them. If they get worse, you may need to hire a structural engineer. Also take the time to inspect windows for drafts. You could be losing a significant chunk of change on wasted heating, and the winter.
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Know the Warning Signs
Some things become evident in winter that aren’t as detectable in other seasons. For instance, if snow isn’t collecting on your roof, your property may not be as well-insulated as it should be, as heat is escaping through the roof and melting the snow. Icicles are also a telltale sign of problems — the same conditions that create this pretty ice spikes can lead to ice dams, which spell bad news for your property.
Attentive property maintenance that takes advantage of winter’s unique circumstances will keep you from deal with high repair costs and allow you to prevent greater damages down the line.
What winter damages do you see on your properties the most? Share your experiences with us in the comments.
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