As the last of the snow melts and we start looking forward to sunny summer days, it’s easy to forget that with the warm weather comes unexpected storms. Wind, rain, lightning, and hail can be extremely damaging to Alberta homes. There are two great ways to plan ahead for this: first, by investing in the right insurance for your house, and second, by taking a few minutes to plan ahead and protect your property.
We can always help you find great home insurance coverage at Cornerstone, but today, we’d like to help you protect your home and property before you ever need to file a claim.
How to Avoid Using Your Home Insurance this Summer
We love receiving calls from clients so we can connect and catch up, but we know you aren’t always calling with good news. Our ultimate goal is to help you protect your house, property, and belongings in any way we can. Let’s look at some strategies you can use this year to keep storms from ruining your summer plans.
Our Top Tips to Protect Your Home
If you have home insurance in Alberta, you may have already had a storm-related claim. Hail storms are one of the most common and damaging issues. In the summer of 2020, Calgary was hit with a hailstorm that cost upwards of $1.2 billion in insurance claims.
Wind, water damage, lightning, and hail are among the most common culprits when it comes to damaging homes and properties. A quick check of indoor tools and resources and outdoor conditions around your home can help mitigate the risks these elements pose. Although it’s not always possible to prevent damage to your home, there are a few steps you can take to reinforce your home before our first summer storms hit this year.
Install Impact-Resistant Roofing
Your roof is often your first line of defence against powerful summer storms. Newer roofing materials have more staying power and have been designed with storms in mind. If you are considering a full roof replacement, we highly recommend looking into these modern options.
Replace and Repair Your Shingles and Siding
Loose or missing shingles and siding offer opportunities for wind and water to enter. One missing shingle may not seem like a big deal, but it could result in a very large patch of missing shingles if a significant wind storm blows your way. Keep extra shingles and siding on hand if possible, and check your home over regularly for any gaps.
Clean Out Your Gutters and Downspouts
Basement flooding is made much less likely when your gutters and downspouts are free to carry water away from your foundation. Check your gutters and downspouts in the spring and fall, and at least a few times in between to ensure that leaves and other debris aren’t blocking the flow of water.
Check Your Sump Pump
A sump pump can be a home-saver, but is yours working properly? Be sure to check your sump pump for any issues at least once a year to ensure it can do its job when the time comes.
Keep Trees Trimmed
Tree branches can wreak havoc on a home when the wind is blowing hard. Keeping them trimmed away from your house helps ensure that they don’t impact your siding, roofing, or windows and cause damage during a storm.
Install a Lightning Protection System
Lightning strikes are rare but devastating. Not only are your electronics and appliances at risk, but your family could be as well. One way to completely mitigate this risk is by installing a lightning protection system, which carries high currents into the ground instead of your house.
Keep Belongings Stored Inside
Storms can blow up quickly, making it difficult to bring in important or potentially damaging items at the last minute. Keeping your yard free from tools, equipment, and other belongings can make a storm less stressful and damaging. Make good use of garages, storage sheds, or even areas under patios or decks for storing items away.
Keeping You and Your Family Safe
Of course, items damaged in storms can always be replaced or restored, but people are far more valuable. During severe storms, be sure to take precautions such as staying away from windows that could potentially shatter or electrical appliances that could surge, and avoiding contact with water, such as showers or baths. You can also set up a storm kit and keep it in a safe place in your home away from windows, preferably in a basement or crawl space. A basic storm kit can include a flashlight or candle and matches, water, snacks, a first aid kit, and emergency blankets.
Using Your Home Insurance Coverage
Some summer storms just can’t be outsmarted, and when that happens, you’ll likely want answers about your insurance policy and claim options right away. Questions that you never thought of will likely arise, such as whether you’ll be able to rebuild your home or if your living expenses will be paid for during the restoration process.
There are two ways to ensure you can get the answers you need and the results you want in this situation. First, you’ll want to work with an insurance brokerage in Alberta that can help you when the worst happens by answering questions and providing you with information and resources. Second, you’ll want to work closely with your insurance broker so they can help you get a tailored home insurance policy.
Get an Online Quote for Home Insurance and Tenant Insurance
Our dedicated home insurance brokers can help you get a home insurance quote perfectly tailored to your property. We have purposefully built excellent relationships with Canadian insurance companies, which allows us to select from a range of insurance products.
Learn more about the ins and outs of home insurance in Edmonton today by calling and speaking directly with one of our professional insurance brokers. Or, head to our online quote system to learn about home insurance rates for your house.
