Winter weather can substantially damage your property by freezing pipes, winds or hail, or excessive snow on the roof. While the majority of home insurance policies cover such damage, there are a few winter weather events that are not covered.

What types of winter damage are covered by home insurance?

As winter weather affects a significant area of the United States each year, homeowners may wonder if their homeowner's insurance covers damage caused by winter storms and snow. With few exceptions, the answer is yes.

This following list describes the most prevalent types of winter weather-related home insurance claims:

• Water damage

• Flooding caused by melting snow

• Some instances of water infiltration into your home, dependent on the cause

• Freezing pipes

• Roof damage from the weight of snow and ice

• Hail damage

• Roof damage

• Ice dams on the roof

• Wind damage

• Power failure

• Fallen trees

What types of winter damage are not covered by home insurance?

Most damages from winter weather are covered by a standard home insurance policy. However, there are a few situations where this is not the case, just as the obvious case where a covered peril did not cause the damage or if the homeowner caused the damage by being careless.

One other winter damage that is not covered are ice quakes. These happen when water under the ground freezes. This causes the earth to expand and shake, damaging homes and other things.

How to protect your home from winter storms and snow damage

When you buy home insurance, you can make sure that your home has the proper coverage. You can also take steps to help protect your home when winter weather comes. Here are some things you can do to protect your home from damage caused by winter weather.

1. Clean gutters: Before winter, you should clean your gutters and downspouts so that water from melting snow and ice can flow freely and not back up and cause damage.

2. Roof repair: You should also ensure that your roof's shingles and flashing are in good shape. Replace any worn or broken parts before winter comes. This keeps your roof in good condition and stops leaks.

3. Trim trees: Make sure to trim trees every so often to ensure that a branch does not break and fall because of the weight of snow and ice.

4. Add or replace weather stripping: By using caulking and weather stripping around your windows and doors, you can keep a good seal around them. Also, replace any worn weather stripping as needed.

5. Drain water: To avoid damage from freezing, drain the water from any pipes that lead to outdoor faucets.

6. Insulate pipes: If you can not get water out of the lines that lead outside your home, ensure they are adequately insulated to keep them from bursting.

7. Monitor heating system: Every year, check, clean, and fix your heating system to keep it in good shape and working well.

In addition to ensuring your home is ready for winter weather, you should also ensure you have enough home insurance to protect it.

What do I do if I find winter weather damage to my home?

If you find winter damage on your home, or suspect there is some, then do not hesitate to hire a public adjuster. Unlike adjusters sent from insurance companies, a public adjuster works on behalf of the insured homeowner. This means they work hard to maximize your claim reimbursement. For this reason we highly recommend the Public Adjusters at Premier Public Adjusting.

Premier Public Adjusting

Let the professionals at Premier Public Adjuster help you if you are considering hiring a public adjuster. Our skilled professionals use their years of experience and the best software and tools in the business to make sure you get the best results. We use legal assets, information management systems, and software for estimating insurance costs. Above all, our public adjusters will always be your strongest advocate in maximizing your claim compensation!

Contact us today at Premier Public Adjusting LLC at 704-736-3683