How To Prep Your Home For Vacation

With spring and summer come vacation season, and along with the travel arrangements, packing and airport itineraries come the responsibilities that come from preparing your home for the time you are away. Protecting your home from fire and theft when you're on a trip can be as simple as taking a few preventative steps to ensure peace of mind.

• -Set light timers and tell your neighbors the dates you will be away. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, 11.7 million homes experienced a property theft in 2009. By setting light timers, you can give potential burglars pause when they come across your home to find lights on. Additionally, letting your neighbors know the dates of your trip can allow them to keep an eye on any suspicious behavior in your neighborhood, or around your home.
• -If you are going to be away for more than 3 days, arrange for your mail and newspapers to be picked up by a friend or family member. This will also help your home appear as though you are there, and help deter any potential theft.
• -Run your air conditioner or furnace while you are away, but set the temperature to a higher or lower level than if you were there. During a winter trip, running your furnace can help prevent frozen pipes, and adjusting your thermostat controls can help mitigate the cost of running these systems while you are away.
• -Check water faucets and fixtures for leaks, and shut off water valves while you are away. This can help prevent burst pipes and leaks and help avoid major property damage.
• -If possible, leave a car in your driveway while you are away. Again, this helps give the appearance of occupancy.

Your home is likely one of your most valuable investments, and the items in it can range from costly to irreplaceable. Taking some simple steps to help prevent loss can help you avoid loss, and gain peace of mind, and isn't that what a vacation should be about?

Daylight Savings Time and Home Maintenence

Aside from losing an hour of sleep and gaining an hour of daylight, moving our clocks up an hour is an excellent time to take some preventative steps to protect your home from losses. Here are some quick tips to help you and your family avoid potential disaster simply, quickly and effectively:

• Change the batteries in your smoke detector. According to the US Consumer Product Safety Division, batteries in smoke detectors should be changed at least annually, but it is very common (and recommended by Havlic Insurance) to change the batteries at each time change. It is also advised that you should test the detectors once a month.
• Change the air filters in your furnace. After a long winter of using the furnace, your air intakes will have handled all manner of dust and debris. Changing the filters can prevent fire and improve air quality inside your home.
• If you have a sump pump, test the battery backup system and make sure the lines are clear. Finished basements are quite expensive investments; protect your investment by being proactive in your water removal maintenance.
• Check your roof for damage, and check your gutters for any obstructions. After a winter that saw one major blizzard, and more than a few severe weather events, roofs and gutters this year should be checked. Checking the roof and gutters can confirm that your home is prepared to drain the springtime rains away from your home.

After a long Chicago winter, we're all looking forward to finally spending some time outside. By taking these simple steps, you can make sure your spring and summer are spend leisurely, and not cleaning up after a disaster.

Blizzard Driving Tips

With a severe winter storm headed our way in the next few days, now is a good opportunity to revisit some tips for driving in severe winter weather. These tips are re-posted from FEMA.gov's emergency website (www.fema.gov/hazard/winter/wi_during.shtm#2), and are excellent resources to reference. Remember, unless its an emergency, the best advice is to stay off the roads until they are clear.

• Travel in the day, don't travel alone, and keep others informed of your schedule
• Stay on main roads; avoid back road shortcuts

If a blizzard traps you in the car:

• Pull off the highway. Turn off the hazard lights and hang a distress flag from the radio antenna or window.
• Remain in your vehicle where rescuers are most likely to find you. Do not set out on foot unless you can see a building close by where you know you can take shelter. Be careful; distances are distorted by blowing snow. A building may seem close, but be too far to walk in deep snow.
• Run the engine and heater about 10 minutes each hour to keep warm. While the engine is running, open a downwind window slightly for ventilation and periodically clear snow from the exhaust pipe. This will protect you from possible carbon monoxide poisoning.
• Exercise to maintain body heat, but avoid overexertion. In extreme cold, use road maps, seat covers and floor mats for insulation. Huddle with passengers and use your coat for a blanket.
• Take turns sleeping. One person should be awake at all times to look for rescue crews.
• Drink fluids to avoid dehydration.
• Be careful not to waste battery power. Balance electrical energy needs-the use of lights, heat and radio-with supply.
• Turn on the inside light at night so work crews or rescuers can see you.
• If stranded in a remote area, stomp large block letters in an open area spelling HELP or SOS and line with rocks or tree limbs to attract the attention of rescue personnel who may be surveying the area by airplane.
• Leave the car and proceed on foot-if necessary-once the blizzard passes.

Frozen Pipes

A preventable hazard, frozen pipes can be extremely costly and difficult to clean up from. While pipes tend to be insulated to temperatures as low as 10 degrees, knowing how to properly prevent a frozen pipe, and how to keep a pipe from bursting once frozen can save thousands of dollars, and save you from the headache of the aftermath.

Knowing your plumbing system is a good first step. Tagging water valve shut offs can help you identify where to cut the water supply in the event of a burst pipe. Additionally, turning off the supply at the valve nearest to your outside hose spigot can cut off the most exposed area of piping to the elements. Finally, wrapping your water pipes with thermal wraps can not only keep the pipes warm when the temperature plunges, but it can also save on heating costs by minimizing heat loss as water travels from your water heater throughout your home.

If you suspect a frozen pipe, immediately cut off the water supply to that area of plumbing. Attempt to slowly thaw the frozen section-the best way to thaw it is with a hair dryer or electric heat wrap. Do not take a torch to the pipe. If you discover a slow drip or leak coming from a pipe, that's a sign that you're too late-the pipe has already burst as water begins to melt away.

As with most potential hazards, prevention is the best form of mitigation. If you plan on being away from your home, do not turn your heat off. Keep your thermostat set to 60 degrees, and make sure all storm windows are sealed shut to prevent cold leaks.

Finally, if you do discover water damage due to a burst pipe, don't delay-call your insurance agent right away. Promptly reporting the claim and allowing mitigation professionals to begin the cleanup and dryout process can help minimize the damage to your home and property.

Ice Dams

One of the unfortunate side effects of winter weather is that it creates conditions that can cause damage to your home. One of these conditions is a buildup of snow which, when exposed to the warm air escaping from an attic vent can create cascades of ice coming down from the gutters and edges of your roof. This ice builds up in your gutters, and when the snow melts, the water cannot drain properly. This creates what's called an ice dam.

Ice dams can cause significant damage to walls, ceilings and insulation inside the home, as water seeps inside the structure and wreaks havoc. While masses of icicles dangling from the edge of a roof is the hallmark sign of an issue with attic ventilation, it takes very little moisture to form an ice dam.

Simple home maintenance can help prevent ice dams and subsequent damage to the interior structure. Making sure your attic has adequate insulation and sealing all potential heat leaks is the simplest and most effective way to prevent an ice dam before it starts. Once the dam actually forms, ice melt or snow melt socks, when placed on the roof line near the gutter, can help open up a channel to drain the excess melt safely away from the structure. Finally, making sure gutters and downspouts are clear of leaves, dirt and debris can assist in safely draining water away from your home.

Parking Lot Accidents and the Holidays

The holiday shopping rush is a busy time for consumers and businesses alike. As storefronts, shopping malls and shops see foot traffic reach its annual peak, the parking lots that serve these establishments see a major increase in activity. With inclement weather affecting our area this time of year, parking lots can be the scene of avoidable car accidents.

According to Business Fleet, 14% of all reported auto accidents in 2007 took place in a parking lot. 80% of all bumper scratches happen during parking, and parking lot accidents can average around $1,500 per claim, which can cause insurance rates to rise. Narrow lanes, hurried drivers and blind spots can turn a trip to the store into a headache for drivers who find themselves involved in a collision. While some accidents by nature are not avoidable, there are simple steps to avoiding parking lot collisions that you can take.

• Check your mirrors and back out slowly. In parking lots, cars and pedestrians are constantly moving. It is imperative to check all mirrors before leaving any parking space.
• Clear your vehicle of snow, ice and other visual impairments. Having a fully clear field of vision can decrease the chance of you not seeing another driver backing out or pulling into a space near you.
• Take your time. Don't be in a rush to pull out of a spot. Back out slowly, checking mirrors and looking back through your rear windshield. Proceed at all times with caution.
• Park away from the front door. While this may not seem like an appealing option during a Chicagoland winter, parking away from the front door-and away from the majority of the traffic in a parking lot-can help you avoid a collision with a pedestrian or vehicle.

Also remember, if you do have an accident, don't panic. Either call the police to have them fill out a report, or exchange information with the other driver and then contact your agent right away to discuss your options. Following those simple steps, however, may drastically reduce your chances of being in a parking lot accident this holiday season.

Winter Weather Is Here!

It's that time of year again; the time of year when snow, sleet and ice begin to be weekly challenges for drivers in our area. Simple steps can help you avoid accidents and other weather related trouble as winter takes hold.

• Slow down and increase your following distance when in traffic. If a driver in front of you has to brake suddenly, you need to make sure you have enough space to stop safely and avoid losing control of your vehicle due to slick conditions.
  
• Clear your car completely of snow and ice. This will make sure your field of vision is clear of any obstructions. Carry an ice scraper in your car and give yourself plenty of time to allow your car to warm up, and to scrape and sweep the snow away from window, headlights, windshields and your hood.
  
• Carry an emergency kit in your trunk. In the event you are stranded for any length of time, an emergency kit can help you wait for help to arrive. Ideally, the kit should include flares, warm clothing including a blanket, extra gloves and hats, and jumper cables.

Winter in Chicagoland can seem like it lasts an eternity, but by planning ahead and driving slowly and safely, you can make it through safely without incident to your destinations.