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House Damage Questions

Your home is easily your most prized possession, and the last thing you want is for it to be damaged in any way.  The most common forms of house damage are fires and floods, which are usually sudden, unexpected, and quite traumatizing to the homeowner. 

Of course there is no way to prevent such events from happening.  Fires can result from something as simple as an electrical surge or as large scale as a lightning strike.  Water damage can happen as the result of a leaky faucet or a massive flash flood.  However, you can take steps to minimize the damage, should it ever happen.

Firstly, you should look at your homeowners’ insurance policy and see what is covered and what is not.  In many cases, fire damage will be covered, but not necessarily flood damage.  Know your policy and add additional coverage as needed.

You can also defend against fire by making sure you have working fire extinguishers, several located throughout you home, within easy reach, and that every person in the home knows how to use them.  Check your fire alarms and replace the batteries regularly.  Most alarms will beep when the battery gets low, but don’t count on this.

To protect against water damage, elevate furnaces, water heaters, and electrical panels (and appliances, if they’re on the bottom floor) a foot or so to avoid possible flash flood levels.  Make sure all exterior drains, gutters, and downspouts are cleared, and that landscaping properly slopes away from your home.

In the event of a fire or water damage emergency, contact your local fire and water restoration company.