The winter season may bring the joys of the holidays, but it also brings some dangers to your home. More rain, snow and darker days mean additional threats from water, theft, and more. Read on for home safety and maintenance tips to keep your home safe from home insurance claims this holiday season.
Clean Your Home’s Roof Drains
As the winter season brings rough weather, keeping your home’s roof drains clean is essential, especially since damage to draining systems is one of the most common types of damage to a home during winter. You must ensure water can safely move away from your home by regularly cleaning your roof and drains. The fall season causes abundant leaves and other plant debris that pile up on your roof and fall into the gutters. This can cause a water blockage, a significant safety hazard. Ensure your roof and drains are clear with a quick inspection and cleanup.
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Clear Perimeter Street Gutters
Just as you want water from rain or snow to be able to move away from your home safely, the same goes for the water around the property. You want to ensure all water drains safely to the street’s gutters. Be sure to clean up leaves and debris around your home’s street gutters to keep it as straightforward as possible.
Additionally, ensure your house’s hose bibs don’t freeze!
Inspect Trees On the Property
British Columbia has all kinds of weather during the winter, and strong winds are a part of the forecast. Strong winds this winter have already started in B.C. They can sometimes be too much for trees if they are not healthy enough to withstand the force of strong winds. Tree decay and disease can cause trees to be more prone to falling over, especially during a windy storm. Before the rough winds of the winter season arrive in full force, inspect the trees surrounding your property, especially the big ones that could cause a lot of damage to your home or others if they were to fall over. Look for signs of tree decay or disease, and call in an expert if you have any concerns.
Bring Some Outdoor Items Inside
Just as we don’t want any damage done to the home or property, we also don’t want anything to happen to the rest of our assets and items. We may think that certain outdoor items can survive the winter season outdoors, but mother nature has a way of surprising us. Bring what you can inside- especially the more expensive items- to keep your outdoor things safe from the harsh weather (and theft).
Buy Necessary Supplies Early
When the winter season arrives, and the snow starts to fall, a significant deterrent for many households in keeping their home driveways and walkways clear does not have the right supplies. Because it can be challenging to get to the store once the snow has already fallen, and often stores can run out of essential supplies like snow shovels or snow salt, it is recommended that households buy the necessary supplies early. This ensures they keep their driveways and walkways safe for themselves and anyone visiting or walking around the property.
Contact Harbord – The Home Insurance People!
If you have questions about this post or about keeping your home safe from claims this holiday and winter season, we encourage you to contact us. We’d be happy to help answer any questions you may have. We can also provide you with free, no-obligation home insurance quotes for your home, with the hopes of helping you find savings for the holiday season and into the new year! Contact our team at 1.844.544.4663 and see what makes us Harbord – The Home Insurance People™!
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