Mother nature can be unforgiving and she doesn’t take into consideration whether or not you have homeowners insurance before blindsiding you with disaster.
Her unpredictability makes it important to ensure that your home insurance covers you for her fury and that your policy is always up to date.
Here are a few of the most common home insurance claims made, how to prevent them (if possible) and steps to take after Mother Nature has calmed down.
WATER DAMAGE HOME INSURANCE CLAIMS
Most sites, including Prolink, list water damage as the most frequent claim that anyone will make against their insurance policy.
- Heavy rainfall can cause major basement flooding which is hard to clean up without professional help or a lot of buckets. To avoid this kind of damage check for leaks in the form of cracks in your foundation after each rainfall. If you spot something, get it looked at by a professional immediately. It’s also a good idea to test your sump pump from time to time to ensure it is working properly. A heavy rain is not the time to learn that your sump pump has quit running.
- Plumbing issues could also cause leaks and heavy damage. Be sure to check pipes on a fairly regular basis to ensure that the connections are tight and none of the pipes are corroded.
According to Info Assurance, after a flood or leak, it is important to block or stop leaks if possible as well as clean up as much water as possible to properly assess the damage.
Keep all receipts for any repairs that you make so that they can be submitted to your agent with the claim.
Contacting your agent should be next on the list of things to do so that you can figure out how much compensation you are entitled to and the process and timeline for getting it to you.
Not all insurers offer flood or sump/sewer backup coverage for every risk, your property may not qualify. These are good questions to ask your insurance agent at the time of application and annual review of your policy.
HOME INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR WIND
The number of wind storms has been increasing as of late and if you live in an older neighbourhood with lots of mature trees, you could be at risk for some serious damage to your home.
You may think that your home is built solid but when the wind blows a large branch from a nearby tree at 70kms an hour into your front window, it is bound to leave a mark.
A good way to prevent this from happening:
- Keep an eye on the trees on or around your house and make sure to trim the branches when you see ones that are dying.
- Watch out for trees that are leaning towards your house. It may be hard to part with them and the shade they provide in the summer, but you will thank yourself when you don’t see it IN your house after the next wind storm.
A call to your insurance agent after the accident could lead to them providing the phone number of a reliable cleaning company or arborist if needed.
Like with the water damage, keep all of your receipts so that you can make sure to expedite your claim.
FIRE INSURANCE CLAIMS FOR HOME INSURANCE
- Electrical fires can happen in an instant and often come without warning. Faulty or old wiring is usually the cause and the biggest problem is that you have to be careful how you try to put them out or things will get out of hand fast.
- Household materials such as candles, stoves and cigarettes are the most common starters of household fires. When left unattended, an open flame is very dangerous.
The Ontario Society of Professional Engineers lists many ways to prevent fires depending on the type. A fireproof blanket, which can often be purchased in the same stores as a kitchen extinguisher, is a fantastic tool to have on hand if there is a grease fire while a fire extinguisher works on many other types of fires. Don’t forget to make sure that the batteries are always fresh in your smoke detector.
Keep in mind, that a large fire should not be extinguished by someone unfamiliar with using an extinguisher. Call 9-1-1 and get everyone, including animals, out of the house as quickly as possible.
The next call to make would be to your insurance agent. It may take some time to organize a claim made for a major house fire, but your agent will be there with you every step of the way.
Nature is a really powerful force and not one to be trifled with. If you follow the steps above and make sure to review your policy with your agent regularly, you can rest easier knowing that you are covered in case the unthinkable happens.
Erie Mutual Insurance proudly serves the commercial insurance, farm insurance, home insurance and auto insurance needs of members throughout Southern Ontario including Haldimand, Niagara and Hamilton.
Please don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions you may have about this or any other topic related to your insurance.
