It is college football season, time to shop for new ski’s, and it is also time to consider how to protect your home from the winter conditions that are fast approaching. This is also a good time to review your home and auto insurance. With temperatures falling and meteorologists predicting a colder than normal winter, the easiest and most cost efficient way to keep your home’s heat inside, while keeping your heating bill respectable, is to add fresh insulation to your attic, ceilings, basement, and walls. Mark Wolf (of the National Energy Assistance Directors’ Association) states that, “these do-it-yourself home upgrades could cause instant energy savings between 10 and 20%”.
Winter storm damage can cause thousands of dollars in damage. Let PlatinumOne Insurance Agency provide you with an insurance check-up to make sure you have the best possible coverage. Inspecting your home now can save you thousands down the road.
Here are a few home inspection tips to help prevent property damage, and help keep your Kansas home insurance costs down:
- Check and clean your heating system to make sure it is in good working condition for the winter months.
- Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer. This prevents lint from accumulating and reduces the risk of fire
- Keep gutters clean and roof drains open. Inspect washing machine hoses periodically, and replace hoses that show signs of wear or leakage.
- Make sure attic insulation doesn’t cover ventilation vents in the eaves. This helps prevent winter ice dams.
- Replace cracked glass in windows and, if you end up replacing the entire window, prime and paint the exposed wood.
- Make sure attic insulation is at least R30.
- Make sure all stairwell drains are clear of debris. Consider building a permanent roof over an exterior stairwell to prevent debris and rain from getting into the stairwell.
- Inspect the home exterior for crevice cracks and exposed entry points around pipes and seal them.
- Insulate pipes that pass through unheated areas. Your home’s crawlspace and attic are two such areas.
- Use weather stripping around doors to prevent cold air from entering the home and caulk windows.
- If the chimney hasn’t been cleaned for a while, call a chimney sweep to remove soot and creosote.
- Inspect the fireplace damper for proper opening and closing.
- Vacuum under and behind the freezer and refrigerator to greatly improve efficiency of the units.
- Check the mortar between bricks.
- Check the condition of the putty around the windowpanes. If chunks are falling off, it’s time to have fresh putty installed.
- Make sure all smoke detectors are working and have fresh batteries.
- Install a carbon monoxide alarm near the furnace and any fireplaces that get used.