Water damage can be a nightmare!
The reality is water damage claims are the most common type of homeowner’s loss. The inconvenience of cleanup, repair and potential out of pocket costs are just not worth the aggravation.
Up to 22 gallons of water are lost daily due to leaks from dripping faucets or malfunctioning toilets. Water damage is one of the most common losses to your property. How can you prevent a water damage loss?
Water Damage Prevention
There are no single ways to prevent a water damage loss, but there are ways to minimize your loss from occurring. As a homeowner, there are many things that you are a responsible for in the maintenance of your home. There are 9 places where water damage can occur: plumbing, roof, sump pump, water heaters, shower, toilet, sink, washing machine, and the ice maker.
Age of Your Home
Homes that are thirty years old or older are three times more likely to have a plumbing or drainage problem. It is highly important that the plumbing of your home is inspected annually. If you pay close attention to your monthly water bill, you will be able to quickly spot a plumbing issue.
Are You Covered?
Being a homeowner takes great responsibility, but there are some simple precautions that can be done to prevent a water damage loss, and keep you from paying thousands in damage to your property. Make sure to check with your insurance agent to review your coverage, as many carriers can limit or exclude water damage coverage for older homes. Most carriers only offer $10,000 as a buy back option, which can be minimal if serious damage occurs, and it may not be suitable to repair all of the damage.
Being proactive in maintaining your home and preserving your claims/loss history for catastrophic loss is in your best overall interest from an insurance perspective. Your history for all locations owned follows you for 3-5 years depending on the insurance company.
We offer a free review of your home insurance policy. If you have concerns about water damage and what you are covered for please call us at 727-522-7777. Wallace Welch & Willingham represents many insurance companies that have policies that can be customized to fit your particular need.
