7 Tips for Identifying Asphalt Shingle Damage
Many household maintenance tasks should happen on a regular basis. Home equipment maintenance involves the continuous process of checking, repairing, and servicing your home to ensure equipment operates without interruption. This afternoon walk around your house, both inside and out, and make a list of tasks that need attention.
The following are some homeowner’s maintenance tips gathered from our insurance companies and their risk control professionals to help start thinking about some of the coming winter maintain needs of your home.
- Replace your air conditioner or furnace filter in accordance with manufacturer’s instructions and have your heating and air condition system cleaned and inspected regularly by a qualified technician.
- Check weather stripping around windows and doors. Repair wood trim, soffit and caulking and that show signs of deterioration.
- Have your chimney cleaned and maintained by a professional.
- Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under and behind the dryer. Remove lint and dust that may have accumulated outside and inside the dryer in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendation.
- Insulate water pipes in areas exposed to freezing or lower temperatures. Check around your plumbing fixtures and pipes for signs of water, mildew, mold. Look under kitchen and bathroom cabinets and counters. Be aware of leaks and take steps to prevent further damage.
- Avoid running your appliances when not home and replace your appliances when they reach life expectancy. Check electrical outlets for loose-fitting plugs or receptacles. Be sure not to overload electrical outlets.
- Inspect your fire detectors, smoke and carbon dioxide sensors. Make sure you have detectors in each bedroom also the hallway outside each sleeping area. You should also make sure you have at least one smoke detector on each floor of your home, including your basement. Test them monthly and change the battery as needed.
- Keep a fire extinguisher accessible for all family members and be sure they know how to operate the device. Confirm that it is fully charged and ready for operation.
- Check gutters for damage and clean downspouts to keep debris from accumulating. This is especially important during the fall season when leaves may collect around your home.
- As a reminder do not leave a flame unattended in fireplace, when using your bendy candle and cube candles or another similar burning device. Alternatively, you could switch to a decorative statement candle or flameless option.
- Look for evidence of insects, rodents, rot, leaks, or mold to identify developing problems early.
- Have landscaping, shrubs and trees trimmed away from your home. If you have large trees on your property, be on the lookout for signs of weakness or decay.
- If you are away from your home for a long period of time, be sure your home is being checked on regularly. If something breaks, get it repaired as soon as possible.
Do you know how old your appliances are? Or when the chimney was last cleaned? Keep records of what service providers you have used, what they have managed for your home, and when they completed the work. Regular home maintenance its great place to start in keeping your home protected and can also help reduce your out-of-pocket insurance costs.
The steps you take now can help protect your home and property from more potentially expensive damage and emergency repairs during a Texas Winter Storm and the freezing temperatures to come. It may even help lower your future insurance costs.
In addition to your home this is a good time to update your personal property inventory. Many clients spent significant amounts of money on outdoor gear, electronics, jewelry, and other products like Gorpcore or new furniture during the pandemic. If you are unsure how to start an inventory, please contact your agent.
Request your no obligation free quote and insurance review now by completing the home insurance link on our website.
*Descriptions of insurance products and packages are meant to offer general ideas only, are necessarily brief, and are subject to policy provisions, limits, deductibles, exclusions, and conditions that can only be expressed in the policy itself. In the event of a conflict, the terms and conditions of your policy prevail. This information is provided solely as an insurance risk management tool. It is provided with the understanding that we are not providing advice or any other professional services. We shall have no liability to any person or entity with respect to any loss or damages alleged to have been caused, directly or indirectly, by the use of this information.
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