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Winterizing Your Home
Is your home ready for winter? Freezing temperatures, ice, snow and wind
can cause severe damage to your home and property, especially when they
take you by surprise. Follow these helpful tips to assist you in preparing
your property for unpredictable winter weather.
Build-up of Ice and Snow on Your Roof
Ice and snow build-up can cause seepage, wall and ceiling cracking, and
even roof collapses. Safeguard your roof by:
- Avoiding a warm attic by properly insulating the attic floor. This
will also help you save on your heating bills.
- Providing for continuous ventilation of attic air. Ideally, the attic
air should be only five to ten degrees warmer than the outside air.
Frozen Pipes
Much of your plumbing is located in the outer walls of your home so it is
exposed to colder air than your thermostat, resulting in freezing or bursting
pipes. Protect your pipes by:
- Properly insulating unfinished rooms, such as garages, where pipes
may be exposed. Consider snap-on insulation for pipes.
- Draining and shutting off pipes flowing to the outside faucets.
- Leaving faucets dripping and cabinets open while you are away to expose
plumbing to warmer air. Also, have someone check your house regularly
to minimize the damage if a pipe does burst.
- Installing a low temperature alarm if you are away often. These devices
activate your alarm system if the home temperature falls below a pre-set
level.
Improperly Used or Poorly Maintained Heating Systems
The improper use or poor maintenance of heating systems such as furnaces,
fireplaces, wood-burning stoves and space heaters can cause fire, puff-backs
and smoke damage. Help maintain your heating system by:
- Servicing furnaces and boilers at least once a year.
- Keeping plenty of space between space heaters and household objects.
- Cleaning chimneys and flues periodically.
In the Event of a Loss…
Take steps to control the damage. Move property out of harm's way and
protect it from the elements.
- Contact your insurance agent or broker.
This information is advisory in nature. No liability is assumed by reason of the information in this document.
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