Home Insurance Articles

Protecting Your Home From Potential Damage In The Summer

2010-07-05

As much as summer is the time for beaches, bikes rides and the general enjoyment of outdoor living, it can also pose the risk of severe damage to a home. If damage does occur in the summer months, home insurance is often used to cover costs of the repairs, but for homeowners, it is a far better to protect against potential summer home damage rather than simply having its cost mitigated by a home insurance policy. Not only will a claim require a great deal of paperwork and assessment, but it could result in a raising of rates or a reduction in coverage levels. Instead of being left in such a position, there are a number of steps that any homeowner can follow to help ensure that their house is protected during the summer months.

First, determine what the most likely cause of damage to the home will be. A home located in central Kansas, for example, will face an entirely different set of weather circumstances than one in coastal Florida, and any preparations made to protect the house must take its location into account. Often, home insurance providers will offer extra coverage for the most common type of summer home damage in an area, but in some cases, for example states with severe flooding problems, it may be necessary to contact a national agency such as a flood protect program in order to access coverage for such damage.

However, in order to mitigate the damage of some specific weather conditions, there are a number of steps that can be taken. In an area with severe flooding, ground and basement-level doors can be installed which have a watertight seal around their edges. Done properly, an entire basement or main level can be sealed off from potential water influx, making damage to a home, and thus an insurance claim, far less likely. In states where severe wind or storm damage is an issue, wind-resistant shingles can be installed, along with high-grade shutters and extra-strong windows. This will not only help prevent initial damage due to high winds, but also damage to inside of a home should one of the windows be broken. Summer also brings the possibility of fire, due to excess heat and potential shorts in the system. In order to combat this, it is advisable to have the wiring in a home periodically inspected and brought up to code if need be in order to avoid a costly fire.

While no system of protection will be absolutely foolproof, taking the time to install preventative measures can help save a homeowner not only time, but money spent on their home insurance premiums.