IS ICE DAMAGING YOUR HOME?

The winter season can be a busy one for homeowners and their insurance providers. With unprecedented freezing weather, ice, and snow across the United States throughout these first couple months of 2021, many are learning just how important the ability to rely on homeowners insurance really is. Ice sneaks right in, and without much warning, at all, it can do quite a bit of damage to your home. Even if you live in a region that doesn’t often experience ice storms, many are learning this year especially that it really pays to be prepared.

Even a minor freeze event can lead to serious damage. Burst pipes, fallen branches, and damage to your roofing system are not rare occurrences during minor ice storms. With a supportive and comprehensive homeowners insurance policy on your side, you can rest assured that your damages are covered no matter how severe or minor your winter weather may be.

Common Damages Caused By Ice

Ice can damage your home in a multitude of ways, with some more common than others. A few common ways ice may damage your home are:

1. Fallen trees and branches – While ice layering on trees, sparkling in the sunlight, might look like something out of a postcard, it creates a deceptively dangerous situation. A tree with weakened limbs or damaged areas cannot withstand the weight of ice layering on its surface, and this can cause large portions of the tree to collapse onto whatever may rest below. All too often this is cars, garages, or roofs, causing catastrophic damage and potential injuries.

2. Failing or collapsed roofing systems – Like tree limbs, your roofing system is only built to be able to hold so much weight. With the significant weight of a sheet of ice, your home’s roofing system can take on a great deal of damage. A complete roofing system failure can damage your home from the top-down, leading to significant expensive damages.

3. Frozen or burst pipes – During periods of extreme cold, pipes can freeze and burst to lead to extensive flooding throughout the home. In these instances, not only will belongings, drywall, and sometimes entire rooms need to be replaced, but your plumbing system will need replacement as well.

4. Melt water damage – In areas where freezing, snow, and ice are rare, melt water damage is another serious issue to consider. A cold snap can be broken by highly temperate weather, leading to a mass melting of all the ice and snow of a previous storm. With grounds saturated and sometimes still frozen, this water will need to find someplace to go.

Keeping Your Home Protected

Whether expected or unexpected, it pays to be prepared for what ice can do to your home. The right homeowner’s insurance policy covers your home from the many damages caused by ice, giving you peace of mind that you can overcome whatever Mother Nature may have in store. To learn more about homeowners insurance policies for your home this season, contact us at Panorama today.