What can you do when Mother Nature unleashes its wrath on earth –
when damage is caused to your home by punishing weather in the form
of hail, wind, rain, and ice? How can you prevent other unforeseen
circumstances like fire, leaky pipes, and theft? All homeowners
should follow these trends to prepare for the unexpected –

Protect Your Home & Avoid These Top Homeowners Insurance Claims

Yes, you’ve bought the right homeowners insurance to protect your
home from the unforeseen! But homeowners insurance may not pay if a
claim could have been avoided with proper maintenance. Plus even
though your homeowner’s insurance covers the expense of replacing
some or all of your damaged property, you’ll still have the
troublesomeness of fixing whatever went spoiled.

This is why you need to do your bit to maintain your home. To avoid
claims in the first place, this is what you should do –

Wind Damage
It is important to keep your home safe from strong winds. Here is
how you can do it:

• Install a robust garage door
• Seal your roof deck
• Switch to windows and doors designed to withstand extreme
  winds
• Ensure proper tree maintenance
• Store your automobiles inside a garage or away from branches,
  lampposts and power lines

Water Damage
Accidental discharge of supply lines or hoses from household
appliances is a common reason for an insurance claim. To avoid such
water damage, you should:

• Place a water sensor and alarm close to those home appliances
  that use water
• Set up an automatic shutoff system
• Monitor and replace old appliances and water heaters
• Caulk around toilets, sinks, and tubs
• Avoid pouring thick substances down your drains

Hail Damage

Plan ahead for hailstorms and avoid expensive, time-consuming
repairs:

• Keep your roof in good condition
• Prune dry, dead, or weak tree and shrub branches
• Bring outdoor furniture indoors if a storm is on its way
• Clean your gutters and downspouts
• Protect windows by using permanent shutters

Rain or Snow Damage
Water in the form of rain or snow can damage your home. Here is how
you can protect your home from such water damage:

• Remove snow from your roof before it piles up
• Keep your gutters and drainage system free of leaves, twigs and debris
• Maintain your slope
• Use rain barrels

Theft Loss
Clearly, there can be more to deal with than just replacing stolen
items when break-ins occur. To avoid this mishap, you must:

• Secure your house, garage and garden shed with locks
• Install additional outdoor motion sensor lights
• Install a security system
• Keep a dog to help protect your property

Fire Damage
Fire damage to your home is extremely expensive and emotionally
upsetting. Take these steps to prevent such a disaster:

• Install smoke detectors on each floor of your home and inspect
  them regularly
• Have fire extinguisher on hand
• Inspect and clean chimney
• Avoid keeping anything flammable around stove or over
• Check for loose-fitting plugs in electrical outlets and avoid
  overloading outlets
• Stay safe and keep your most important investment protected!