Threats That May Damage Your Home During The Winter Season
The winter season is one of the most dangerous seasons as far as home damage is concerned. Every homeowner should take precautions to ensure their property safety during the winter. Here are some of the damages the winter may bring to your home:
Water Damage
Water damage can come from different sources during the winter season, but the most common ones include flooding, roof leaks, and damaged plumbing fixtures. Therefore, before the winter season sets in proper, take measures to protect your home against these threats. For example, you can
- Install a sump pump in the basement and ensure your drainage channels are clear
- Fix up and clean your gutters and repair the roof
- Ensure your home is properly insulated to reduce the risk of frozen pipes
Roof Damage
The risk of roof damage also rises during the winter season. During the winter season, your roof is likely to be constantly wet and overweighed with snow, and both of these issues can accelerate its damage. Not only that, but winter storms may also damage sections of your roof, particularly weak sections. Therefore, have your roof inspected and all the damaged parts dealt with before the winter season kicks in. For example, you should ensure that all the flashing materials are intact and there are no missing shingles on the roof.
Winter Accidents
As you know, your homeowners insurance coverage is not just for fixing structural damages in your home, but also cushioning you from liability claims others may make after getting injured in your home. This is why you should work to reduce the risk of injuries during the winter, keeping in mind that the ground will likely be wet all the time during the winter season, and this raises the risk of slip and fall accidents. Shovel snow out of your driveways, ensure your floors are dry, and take care of leaking roofs to reduce such risks.
Fire Risk
There are two main things that increase the risk of fire during the winter season. First, the need to warm yourself using space heaters, furnaces, and even fireplaces increases the risk of fire outbreaks. Secondly, many holidays tend to fall in the winter season, and the electrical decorations associated with such celebrations also increase the risk of fire. Therefore, whether you are warming yourself or decorating your home, take active measures to reduce the risk of fire.
Hopefully, your home won't face any damage during the winter. If damage does occur, however, it should find you with adequate home insurance coverage to cushion you from the losses.
