How to Prepare for Common Seasonal Damage During the Winter Months

While it’s hard to believe, November is officially here, which means the cooler winter months are rapidly approaching. Anyone in the property and casualty insurance industry knows that the winter months can take a toll on properties, creating a number of insurance claims as a result.

Fortunately, there are a number of weatherproofing measures that property owners can take to help minimize any potential damage to their residential and commercial properties. As a best practice, insurance carriers can share these useful tips with their insureds to demonstrate that they truly care about keeping their clients safe and prepared for the unexpected.

Here are 4 ways property owners can protect their dwellings and commercial buildings this winter season:

1. Inspect the fireplace.
Many homeowners take advantage of routine maintenance on their HVAC systems every fall in preparation for the winter months. However, another heat source for the home that may not be used as frequently in the Southeast region is the fireplace. Making a point to have chimneys professionally cleaned each fall and checked for cracks is a great way to prevent fires and other accidental fire damage from occurring.

2. Remove dead trees and limbs within close proximity to the property.
As a rule of thumb, tree limbs should not be within 10 feet of a property’s roofline. The ideal time to have trees pruned and/or removed is before all of the leaves fall off of the trees. With the wind, ice, and snow storms that can occur during the winter months, it’s a good idea to for homeowners to be proactive in removing trees and limbs that could pose a potential risk of causing damage to the property.

3. Take advantage of surge protectors.
Considering the number of power outages that can occur due to unpredictable winter weather, it’s a good idea to take advantage of surge protectors to safeguard valuable electronics that could otherwise be destroyed in a lightning strike.

4. Get a property inspection.
Property inspections can help homeowners identify items and areas around the property that could create a higher likelihood of a claim needing to be filed during the winter season. This valuable insight can help homeowners to make changes and adjustments to create a safer home environment. Insurance carriers that offer the ability for the insured to have a routine property inspection before the winter season approaches will set themselves apart and show their customers that they truly do care about keeping them safe. In return, these property inspections can help to mitigate risk from the insurance carrier’s standpoint, helping to preserve the bottom line. It’s a win-win situation for all.

Please contact us at Insurance Risk Services to learn more about property inspections and how our seasoned field inspectors can partner with your company to allow you to make more informed underwriting decisions.