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Take Steps to Avoid Winter Weather Damage to Your Home Inside and Out

Winter weather can certainly bring bitter cold temperatures, snow, ice and gusting winds that can wreak havoc and damage to your Nashville home. With that said, the team here at American Renovation Services want to provide you with some important emergency tips to either avoid or handle winter weather damage.

Should your home suffer damage from the winter elements, whether gusting winds, snow, ice or frigid temperatures, it is important that you reach out to your insurance agent or company immediately to report the damage. You should also take video or multiple pictures of the damage, and put temporary fixes in place until such time your claim is approved and processed. For instance, if you have shattered windows, you may want to board them up until your claim is approved and be certain to keep receipts for any temporary fixes since they may very well be covered by your insurance as well.

Typically, damages that are the direct result of gusting winds, falling trees or other objects, wind-driven rain, and any damage or collapse of your home’s structure from the weight of ice or snow, are covered by insurance. Frozen pipes, on the other hand, may not necessarily be a covered item if the damage actually was the result of your own negligence rather than the storm elements themselves.

In addition the typical weather-related incidences listed below are not normally covered by standard homeowners’ insurance policies:

  • Flood damages
  • Interior water damage where there is no damage present to the roof or the walls of your home
  • Food spoilage due to power outages
  • The removal of fallen trees on your property, unless they have actually fallen on the roof of your house and caused damage.

If your home, however, has suffered so much damage that it is no livable, contact your insurance carrier immediately and find out what type and how much coverage you have for temporary living expenses while the permanent repairs are being made to your home and property. Again, be sure to save any and all receipts for costs incurred while temporarily living away from home.

In addition to outside damages to your home during the cold weather season, our professional team wants to share with you some additional important tips to avoid common cold-weather related incidents that can occur inside your home. For starters, make certain that fireplaces, and wood burning stoves are properly vented to the outdoors and that you are not leaking flue gas into your indoor living space. Make certain to only use the type of fuel that your heat source is designed to use and keep a fire extinguisher nearby to any supplemental heat sources you are using.

Be extra careful when using space heaters that they are not located close to items that can easily catch on fire and do not run them all night long as a supplemental heat source. Never store any type of gasoline in your home and be sure to install a carbon monoxide detector to protect your family further. We also recommend that you have plenty of battery operated flashlights on hand and be aware of any equipment or appliances that have become wet from a storm and never use them since they can result in electrocution,

We hope you have found these storm damage tips and insurance facts helpful. Remember, if your home suffers damage from any storm elements, then the professionals here at American Renovation Services are just the team for you. Our highly skilled and trained contractors and technicians stand ready to serve you with all your storm-related renovation and repair needs.

Don’t get caught in the storm this year. Take necessary steps to protect your home and family. With the holiday season around the corner, we want to ensure the safety and well-being of all our valued clients by sharing these useful tips and facts and we send along wishes for a safe and happy holiday season!!

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