Summer Prep to Avoid Home Insurance Claims

Summer fun comes with hidden risks—simple home prep can help you avoid costly insurance claims.

From fireworks to storms, a few smart precautions can protect your home this summer. Yuganov Konstantin/Shutterstock

With school out for children and vacations for hardworking adults, summer can be fun and exciting. Bu, unfortunately, danger lurks beneath those sunny skies. And some of these dangers can cause problems that result in insurance claims.

With insurance premiums rising, it’s important to avoid losses. That’s where preparing your home ahead of summer helps. There are actually tasks you can complete that will help minimize damage and claims when disaster strikes.

Be Cautious When Using Fireworks

According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2023, fireworks caused an estimated 32,302 fires. These included structures, vehicles and outside fires. All of these could trigger an insurance claim.

And although only 11 percent of fires were structural, they accounted for 88 percent of property damage due to fireworks.

To prepare to use fireworks, ensure they are used away from dry grass, buildings and vehicles. Always soak used fireworks in a bucket of water before throwing them in the trash. Never relight a firework that fails to ignite. Instead, wait 10 minutes, then soak it in water.

Don’t wear loose clothing, and ensure you light fireworks one at a time, then move back quickly to avoid injury.

Prepare Grills, Hibachis, and Barbecues

Fire departments responded to an average of 8,900 home fires per year between 2009 and 2023 due to grills, hibachis, and barbecues, according to the South Carolina Department of Insurance. This caused approximately $118 million in property damage.

Propane Grill Safety

Eighty-three percent of these fires were from propane gas grills.

Before grilling season begins, conduct a thorough examination of your grill to ensure there aren’t any gas leaks.

Rust can form on critical components, such as burners and propane tanks. Replace any heavily rusted ones. Surface rust on grill gates can typically be removed with thorough cleaning. Just be sure all the rust is gone before you cook.

Ensure the lid is open when lighting the grill. If the lid is kept closed during lighting, gas can build up, which can cause a flash burn. Don’t cover your grill before it’s completely cool.

Read the instructions before attempting to operate your grill.

Charcoal Grill Safety

Charcoal grills need oxygen to burn; close the vents to extinguish the flame.

When finished cooking, allow for enough cool-down time before covering the grill. Charcoal grills take much longer to cool than propane grills because you can’t just turn off the fire inside.

Safely dispose of coals and ashes. Before cleaning out your charcoal grill, allow it to cool for at least 48 hours. If you need to grill sooner, carefully wrap the ashes in aluminum foil and soak them in water. Then dispose of them in a non-combustible container.

Be Ready for Summer Storms

Wind and hail from summer storms make up the largest share of summer property damage insurance claims. According to the Insurance Information Institute, in 2023, 42.5 percent of property damage insurance claims were caused by wind and hail.

You can’t eliminate the threat entirely, but you can potentially minimize the damage and therefore the cost of repairing it.

Take a walk around your home, looking up and down at your house. If you’ve had a particularly harsh winter, there may be damage.

Check the windows and doors for any damage. A loose shutter is more likely to be blown off during a storm, and it could damage another part of your home if it hits it.

Inspect your roof and siding for any preexisting damage that could pose a threat this summer. You should consider having a professional roof inspection.

If you fix problems now and there is storm damage later, it will help the insurance claim process go smoother. The insurance carrier won’t argue that the damage was already there before the storm.

Trim any large trees on your property. Limbs and branches can be like projectiles that enter your home and cause damage.

If you live in a hurricane-prone area, you might consider upgrading to storm windows.

Protect Your Home Against Home Burglaries

Seventy percent of Americans don’t realize that break-ins peak in the summer, according to insurance comparison website The Zebra. Home burglaries are 11 percent more common in the summer than in the winter.

And these break-ins are 6 percent more likely to occur during the day while the homeowner is at work. Rural areas are at a higher risk of break-ins than cities because there are fewer people to witness a break-in in a remote home.

Prepare your home to prevent a burglary by removing or trimming overgrown shrubbery. You’ll also want to replace vulnerable break-in points like older window frames and hollow doors. Instead, use steel or solid wood doors. They are harder to kick down.

Install a camera and ensure that it’s visible to an intruder. Keep windows locked or install window locks if you do open them.

If you plan on taking a vacation, don’t announce it on social media. Criminals monitor those to plan who they will rob. Leave a TV on or park a car in the driveway while you’re gone. And ensure you stop your mail or any other deliveries.

Prevent Damage and Home Insurance Claims

Preparing your house to avoid insurance claims is basically an extension of spring cleaning. It’s not fun, but it could save you money and aggravation in the future. It may save you from paying a deductible and the potential of an increased premium due to claims.

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