Ways To Protect Your Home From Wind Damage
Heavy winds are common along the coast. While hurricanes pose obvious dangers, even a seemingly minor storm can leave you suffering major wind damage to your home. Our Daytona Beach property damage attorneys offer tips to help protect yourself against losses.
Take Precautions To Prevent Wind Damage
According to statistics from the Insurance Information Institute (III), heavy winds are one of the most commonly cited causes of damage in homeowner’s claims. Gusty winds along the coast due to tropical storms and hurricanes are a common hazard. Taking the following precautions now can help to prevent wind damage:
- Secure shingles: When shingles come loose from your roof due to a storm, they can leave vulnerabilities that allow water to get in. In addition to the risk of mold and water damage to your personal property, areas of weakness are likely to get bigger with time, creating serious structural issues. Inspect your roof now to ensure shingles are securely attached and make repairs as needed.
- Inspect your siding: Even seemingly mild winds can end up dislodging siding on your home or creating gaps. Again, thoroughly inspect the exterior of your property regularly and make repairs as needed.
- Reinforce your garage door and windows: Vulnerabilities in these areas are among the most common causes of wind damage. Reinforcing these areas reduces the risk while helping protect your family’s overall safety.
- Perform routine yard maintenance: Pay close attention to trees and trim branches as needed. Eliminate dead branches or other debris that may be on your property.
- Inspect porches, decks, sheds, and other outdoor areas: Loose boards and any unsecured items could easily become projectiles in storms. Carefully review all outside structures to ensure they are sound.
- Have a plan to quickly secure items: Heavy winds happen frequently in our area and can come on with very little notice. Have a plan in place to secure pools, lawn furniture, yard decor, and other types of items.
Review Your Wind Insurance Coverage
Bankrate advises that while wind protection coverage is not required when purchasing property insurance, lenders will generally request it. Most homeowner’s policies include provisions for wind damage but depending on where you live in the Daytona Beach area and how close to the coast your home is, you may have to purchase it separately. Steps you should take to ensure you are adequately covered include:
- Carefully review your property damage insurance coverage to ensure you are protected against wind damage;
- Make note of policy limits and any deductibles that are in place;
- Look for provisions if items from your property, such as trees or loose shingles, cause damage to others;
- Make sure you have an updated inventory of items in and around your home for use in filing a claim.
Reach Out to Us Today for Help
At Bundza & Rodriguez, we can protect your rights when dealing with insurers and in disputes over whether wind damage claims. To request a consultation with our Daytona Beach wind damage attorney, call or contact us online today.
Source:
iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-homeowners-and-renters-insurance