As most New Englanders know, ice, snow and wind can take a toll on residential property, so remember to protect your home well before the snow starts to fly.
Homeowners, especially those who spend the winter in warmer locations such as Florida, should do the following:
- Remove debris from gutters. Cleaning out leaves, acorns, sticks and pine cones allows melting snow and ice to flow freely. Cluttered gutters can cause ice damming.
- Trim trees and remove dead branches. Ice, snow and wind can cause trees or branches to break, damaging your home, automobile or injuring someone walking on your property.
- Add insulation to attics. If too much heat escapes through the attic, it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof. If melted snow refreezes, it can result in a collapsed roof, and contribute to ice damming. Additionally, well-insulated basements and crawl spaces will also help protect pipes from freezing.
- Protect exposed pipes. Wrap pipes with heating tape and insulate unfinished rooms such as garages that frequently have exposed pipes.
- Keep temperature at a minimum of 65 degrees. Install programmable thermostats to maintain temperature.
- Have furnaces, boilers and chimneys serviced at least once a year. Make sure that smoke and fire alarms are working properly and consider installing a carbon dioxide detector.
- Make repairs. Broken stairs and banisters can become lethal when covered with snow and ice – make sure they are ready for winter weather.
If you have additional questions about preparing your home for winter, or would like to discuss your home insurance policy, please contact your insurance agent by calling Hunter Insurance at 401-769-9500.
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