Amazingly, it’s already officially spring and a lot of people are thinking about doing their annual spring cleaning. We wanted to share a few things that you can add to your list that might help prevent insurance claims:

1.) Clean your gutters and downspouts – Water claims make up a significant number of homeowners insurance claims, and many could be avoided by keeping your gutters and downspouts cleaned and routing water away from your foundation.

2.) Clean or replace your dryer vents. A shocking number of home fires are started by dryer lint. Whether it’s in the vents themselves, or lint that has escaped into the air near your dryer (which is frequently located near your furnace and hot water heater… additional sources of combustion).

3.) If you didn’t change your smoke and CO2 detector batteries with the time change, now is the perfect time to take care of that. The warning provided by detectors can save your life and possibly mitigate the amount of damage done in a fire.

4) Trim your hedges. Especially anything near your home. Branches that touch your house provide cover for potential thieves, they allow ants and other insects to get onto your roof or have easy access to upper floors and they can cause mold and eventually rot by blocking out the sun.

5.) Check your caulking. The freezing and thawing of winter can be hard on caulking. Check existing caulking around windows and doors and anywhere something is protruding from your home’s roof (chimney, vents, fans, etc). We’d suggest calling a professional to check on your roof and the windows of your upper floors.

Each of these things takes only moments, and they could prevent a nasty homeowners claim down the road.

About Dawson Insurance

The first independent insurance agency in Dawson County, Dawson Insurance has a history of excellence since 1964. Located in Dawsonville, Georgia, we also offer unparalleled service and competitive quotes to personal and business insurance clients in Cumming, Gainesville, Alpharetta, and throughout the entire State of Georgia.

(The above article provides a brief overview of the terms and phrases used within the insurance industry. These definitions are not applicable in all states or for all insurance and financial products. This is not an insurance contract. Other terms, conditions, and exclusions apply. Please read your official policy for full details about coverages. These definitions do not alter or modify the terms of any insurance contract. If there is any conflict between these definitions and the provisions of the applicable insurance policy, the terms of the policy control.)