MA Home Insurance Winter Prevention Tips Archives

Winter Storm Watch: Snow Removal Tips

homeownerquoteshoveltips

The Basics
Snow shoveling can be compared to weight lifting, and in some cases, the aerobic aspect of this activity is similar to a workout on a treadmill! To help your body function on demand, consider the following …

Be heart smart! Don’t eat or smoke before shoveling snow. Avoid caffeinated beverages. These are stimulants and may increase heart rate and cause blood vessels to constrict.
If you experience pain of any kind, stop immediately and seek assistance.
Pace yourself during shoveling activities. Take frequent breaks and drink plenty of water. Snow shoveling is strenuous work, and it is important to re-hydrate your body often.
If the ground is icy or slick, spread sand or salt over the area to help create foot traction. Be aware that some areas may be uneven and could cause you to slip, trip, or fall.

Dress for Success!

Consider the weather when choosing outerwear. Dress in layers. Wear clothing that is easy to move in.
Wear a hat—a great deal of body heat is lost through the head.
If it’s icy cold, consider breathing through a scarf, but don’t let it obstruct your view.
Proper boots are essential for keeping feet warm and dry while appropriate soles provide traction. Good boots can help you maintain your balance!
Choose gloves that will keep your hands warm, dry, and blister free—consider thicker gloves, which allow for a good grip on the shovel’s handle.

Select a Shovel that’s Right for You
Shovels are made from different materials and come in many shapes and sizes.

Choose a shovel that is ergonomically correct—a shovel with a curved handle. Many hardware stores and home centers stock ergonomically designed snow shovels. These shovels help you to keep your back straighter reducing spinal stress.
Consider a shovel with a plastic blade instead of metal—plastic is lightweight—isn’t the snow heavy enough?
Sometimes a smaller blade is better. You will not be able to shovel as much snow per shovel load, but the load will weigh less, which puts less strain on the spine.
Get a shovel made to push snow. It is far easier to push snow than to lift it. There are shovels made expressly for pushing snow. See what is available at your hardware or home center store.

Once you have your shovel, you might want to consider spraying a bit of silicon lubricant on the blade. This can help keep the snow from sticking to the shovel. The snow will slide off the shovel blade.

Technique. Technique. Technique.

Warm muscles work better. So take some time to stretch to prepare your body for activity.
Just like with a golf club, hand placement on the shovel handle is very important! Don’t put your hands (grip) close to one another. Create some distance between the hands. This will give you more leverage and make it easier to lift snow.
Think about good posture and maintaining the natural curve of your spine.
Address your task directly. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart to maintain balance. Try to keep the shovel close to your body. Bend at the knees—not the waist or back. Tighten your stomach muscles as you lift the snow. Lift with your legs—not your back. Do not twist your body. Dump the snow in front of you. If you need to move the snow to the side, move your feet—do not twist!According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, “If you must lift the snow, lift it properly. Squat with your legs apart, knees bent and back straight. Lift with your legs. Do not bend at the waist. Scoop small amounts of snow into the shovel and walk to where you want to dump it. Holding a shovelful of snow with your arms outstretched puts too much weight on your spine. Never remove deep snow all at once; do it piecemeal. Shovel an inch or two; then take another inch off. Rest and repeat if necessary.”
Don’t throw snow over your shoulder! Go forward with the snow.
Fresh snow is lighter in weight—so clear snow as soon as it has fallen. Snow becomes dense as it compacts on the ground. Wet snow is very heavy. One shovelful can weigh 20 pounds or more!
Pace yourself. Take frequent breaks to stretch your back and extremities.

Snowblowers
A snowblower is a terrific piece of machinery, but if it’s not used correctly, you can strain or injure your back. Snowblowers are designed to remove snow at a particular rate of speed. Pushing or forcing the equipment to go faster is defeating its purpose—to do the work for you!

Community Involvement
Not everyone is able to shovel snow or operate a snowblower. Consider the disabled and some in the senior population. Fortunately, many communities across the US have organized volunteers to help people who need assistance during the winter season.

Winter Tips: Save Your Home From Ice Dams

Presented by Safety Insurance:

The winter of 2015 produced record snow fall and extremely cold temperatures. This combination resulted in a catastrophic number of ice dam claims. With winter weather quickly approaching, now is a good time to prepare our homes and businesses to minimize winter weather threats. Taking a few preventative measures now will help your policyholders get through the upcoming winter.

Ice Dams

What is an ice dam? An ice dam is an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at the gutter. When interior heat melts the snow on the roof, the water will run down and refreeze at the roof’s edge, where temperatures are much cooler. Eventually, the ice builds up and blocks water from draining off of the roof. This, in turn, forces the water under the roof covering and into the attic or down the inside walls of the house or other structure. Once an ice dam forms, the potential damage can be serious. Taking the following steps will decrease the likelihood that ice dams will form or, at least, will reduce their severity.

•

Keep the attic well ventilated. The colder the attic, the less melting and refreezing on the roof.

•

Keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.

•

If heavy snow does accumulate on the roof, have the snow removed from the outer edge.Frozen Pipes

Frozen water in pipes can cause water pressure buildup, which eventually will lead to pipes bursting at their weakest point, causing water damage to your home or business.

To keep water in pipes from freezing, take the following precautions:

•	Keep the temperature in your home or business above 65 degrees at all times.
•	Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer.
•	Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes with caulking.
•	Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around pipes, particularly in the kitchen and bathroom.

Heating

Heating equipment is one of the leading causes of house fires. With a few simple safety tips you can prevent most heating fires from occurring.

•	Have your furnace and oil tank serviced annually.
•	Have your wood stove inspected before seasonal use.
•	Keep the area around your heating system clear of debris and flammable materials.
•	Turn portable heaters off when you leave the room or go to sleep.
•	Install smoke and carbon dioxide detectors in your home and check the batteries twice a year.

Candles

An open flame easily can ignite anything that can burn. The following precautions will help prevent candle fires.

•	Do not leave lit candles unattended.
•	Have a flashlight ready during a power outage; never use a candle.
•	Keep candles at least 12 inches from any flammable materials.
•	Place candles in a holder on a sturdy uncluttered surface.

Swimming Pool Surprise

Needless to say, in Massachusetts it has been an extremely harsh winter.

Although the desk calender says it’s spring, you wouldn’t know it looking outside or answering continuous first reports of claims.

As a quick way of review and hopefully, to avoid the surprise of a claim denial.

If your swimming pool has been damaged by this winter’s snow and ice: you don’t have any coverage.

Let’s repeat: If your swimming pool has been damaged by this winter’s snow and ice: you don’t have any coverage.

Under Section 1 – Perils Insured Against section of the standard HO-3 home policy it states:

C. WE DO NOT COVER:

… 3. LOSS CAUSED BY FREEZING, THAWING, PRESSURE OR WEIGHT OF WATER, SNOW OR ICE, WHETHER DRIVEN BY WIND OR NOT TO A:

a. FENCE, DRIVEWAY, ROADWAY, WALKWAY, PAVEMENT, PATIO, SWIMMING POOL, SPA, OR HOT TUB

This, unfortunately, leaves many homeowners without coverage for their damaged pools.

Safety Tips During this Massachusetts Winter Storm

The Massachusetts Office of Public Safety and Security offers the following Safety Tips during this storm:

Stay indoors during the storm if possible.
If you do go outside, protect yourself by dressing for the season, wearing several layers of loose fitting, lightweight, warm clothing, rather than one layer of heavy clothing. The outer garments should be tightly woven and water repellent. Mittens are better than gloves. Wear a hat, as most body heat is lost through the top of the head. Cover your mouth with a scarf to protect your lungs.
Keep dry. Change wet clothing frequently to prevent a loss of body heat. Wet clothing loses all of its insulating value and transmits heat rapidly.
Be careful when shoveling snow. Over-exertion can bring on a heart attack – a major cause of death in the winter.
Watch for signs of frostbite: loss of feeling and white or pale appearance in the extremities such as fingers, toes, ear lobes or the tip of the nose. If symptoms are detected, seek medical help immediately.
Watch for signs of hypothermia: uncontrollable shivering, memory loss, disorientation, incoherence, slurred speech, drowsiness and apparent exhaustion. If symptoms are detected, get the victim to a warm location, remove any wet clothing, warm the center of the body first and give warm, non-alcoholic beverages, if the victim is conscious. Get medical help, as soon as possible.
Drive only if it is absolutely necessary. If you must drive: travel in the day; don’t travel alone; keep others informed of your schedule; stay on main roads and avoid back road shortcuts.

All of us at HomeownerQuote.com wish you a safe and warm winter storm.

Burst Pipes

Massachusetts Home Insurance.

In Massachusetts, the cold weather is here and pipes are bursting throughout the Commonwealth.

As a service, HomeownerQuote.com offers the following tips to prevent the dreaded burst pipe claim:

When temperatures are 30° F or less, homeowners should start worrying about pipes freezing.
Pipes should be fitted with insulation, the more insulation the better.
Let your faucets drip during extremely cold weather to help prevent pipes from bursting.
If you have a burst pipe, or if you open a faucet and no water comes out, don’t take any chances: call your plumber!
Turn off the water at the main shut-off valve, leave the faucets open until repairs are completed.
Don’t try to thaw a frozen pipe with an open flame, this will damage the pipe and may even start a building fire.
You may be able to thaw a pipe with a hand-held hair dryer. Slowly apply heat, starting close to the faucet end of the pipe, with the faucet open. Work toward the coldest section. Keep all electric cords away from water!
When away from the house for an extended period during the winter, be careful how much you lower the heat. The temperature inside the walls is colder than inside the house.
The best solution is to drain the water system. With no water in the pipes, there is no freezing.
To drain the system, shut off the main valve and turn on every water fixture (both hot and cold lines) until water stops running.

Good luck and stay warm, Massachusetts!

Ice Dams

Ice Dams! They can be the worst. Water comes in through the roof damaging ceilings, walls, floors and personal property.

Fortunately, they are preventable!

Ice dams are caused by the build up of ice and snow on your roof. Melting and re-freezing contributes to more snow and ice building up.

Watch for ice dams near gutter downspouts.

Keep gutters free of leaves and debris so melting snow and ice can flow freely.

Ice dams can cause water to build up and seep into your house destroying walls, floors and personal property.

Massachusetts Home Heating Tips:

With heating oil and natural gas prices projected to be even higher this winter than they were last, we offer the following tips to save you money.

Maximize Efficiency:

Check your heating system before you turn it on for the winter. Keeping your furnace clean, lubricated, and properly adjusted can save about 5 percent on your heating bill

Consider replacing an old furnace. Today’s furnaces are about 25 percent more efficient than they were in the 1980s

Minimize Heat Loss:

Seal up the leaks. Sealing and insulating duct systems can cut heating costs by as much as 40 percent.

Add insulation to your home’s attic. Even if your attic floor already has a couple of inches of insulation, another six inches can help.

Wrap an insulation blanket around your hot water pipes and tank. This is especially valuable for older water heaters and can save up to 10 percent on water-heating costs.

Don’t use an open-hearth fireplace for heat. The heated air that’s drawn from your home and up the chimney offsets almost all the warmth that a fire provides.

Keep your fireplace damper closed when you don’t have a fire burning. This will prevent up to 8 percent of your furnace-heated air from going up the chimney

home for free.

Conserve Heat:

Turn down the thermostat a little. For every two degrees you lower the thermostat, you’ll save about 4 percent on heating bills.

Consider a programmable thermostat. One of these can help you cut heating costs as much as 20%.

Reduce hot water temperature. Save 7 to 11 percent of water-heating costs by keeping your water heater at the “normal” setting or 120º.

Shorten showers. Showers account for two-thirds of your water-heating costs, so even shaving off a few minutes can help.

Massachusetts Home Insurance Winter Prevention Tips

I hate to think it, but winter is around the corner. Ice, snow & wind can have devastating effects on your home. The time to winterize is before the snow begins to fall. Here are some suggested precautions:

-Maintain gutters. Removing leaves, acorns, sticks & debris from gutters so that snow & ice can drain properly can help prevent dreaded ice dams.

-Trim trees & remove dead branches. Ice, snow & wind can cause weak trees or branches to break damaging your home, car or injuring someone.

-Check Insulation. Add extra insulation to attics, basements and crawl spaces. If too much heat escapes through the attic it can cause snow or ice to melt on the roof. Water re-freezing causes more snow & ice to build up resulting in collapsed roofs & ice dams. Ideally, the attic should be five to ten degrees warmer than the outside air.

-Keep your home warm. The temperature in your house should be at least 65 degrees. The temperature inside the walls where the pipes are located is colder than the walls themselves.