For many people, the winter season brings up mixed feelings. On the one hand, there’s skiing, snowboarding, and the holidays. But at the same time, at least in Canada, there’s also harsh winds, heavy snow, and bone-chilling temperatures. Winter-specific insurance claims often involve damages sustained by houses. Here are some common claims as well as some tips that you can use to try and prevent these unwanted winter surprises.

3 Common Winter-Specific Insurance Claims

• Freezing Pipes: Anyone who has lived through the aftermath of a burst pipe can attest to the devastation that water damage can cause. During the cold winter months, pipes are more at risk for freezing. As a result, many homeowners have to learn the hard way that by the time that frozen pipe bursts, it’s probably too late.
• Ice Dams: As snow falls on your roof and then melts and refreezes throughout the colder months, it’s possible for sheets of ice to form that block new snow and water from running off the roof. The melting water has the potential to eventually go under your shingles and cause a level of leaking and moisture damage that’s very hard to fix.
• Damage Due to Falling Trees: Heavy snowfalls and ice can take their toll on even the most seemingly sturdy trees. That’s why it’s not unusual for trees to collapse on roofs or cars during a heavy storm. This is another claim that’s very commonly made during the winter season.

3 Ways That You Can Avoid Making Winter-Specific Insurance Claims This Winter

• Insulate Your Roof and Your Walls: Sometimes the easiest way to avoid moisture damage is to simply make sure that your roof, attic, and plumbing are all properly insulated. With pipes in particular, power outages or furnace malfunctions can contribute to freezing. A healthy amount of insulation can buy you time in the event that the furnace breaks or the lights go out.
• Trim Trees During Warmer Months: While you can never predict if the next terrible hail storm will cause the trees in your front yard or backyard to collapse, you can be proactive by pruning weak branches during the spring and summer.
• Review Your Home Insurance Policy: Making sure that your home is adequately insured is a big part of managing the financial fallout of an unfortunate winter surprise. Here at Oracle RMS, we pride ourselves on our excellent home insurance offerings.

Conclusion

If you’re not insured or if your current policy is up for renewal, this is a good time to make sure that your home insurance is “winter ready”. Contact us for a FREE home insurance quote. We’re here to help!