You can take care of your home by being precautious and guarding against property damages before they occur, but sometimes unexpected acts of nature happen and the damage cannot be avoided.  As the old saying goes, “stuff happens.”  

The top 3 most common home property damages and what to do about themThe important thing in these cases is to immediately find the right experts to help fix damage once it has occurred.  By taking this approach, you can keep collateral damage from getting worse and save on out of pocket expenses by finding the right experts to help you effectively file claims with your insurance company.

You may never know in advance when or what damage will occur to your property.  However, you certainly can brush up on the most common kinds of home property damages, and the steps to take if they befall you.  Here’s a brief on the top three most common home property damages and what to do about them:

  1. Roof degradation
  2. Frozen and busted pipes
  3. Fire damage 

Roof degradation

Old compacted, compressed, insufficient insulation in your attic and roofing system can cause a problem during winter when snow or ice forms on your rooftop.  When insulation is not evenly distributed, the heat from the living areas of your home rises up into your attic.  When this happens, the less insulated parts of your roof heat up from the inside and then on the surface melting the snow or ice in those areas.  The resulting water runs down the roof to the areas that are more insulated on the inside, and therefore still cold on the outside, creating an ice dam.  If sheets of icicles have formed on the overhang around your house, this is more than likely what has happened.  The weight of this ice can cause damage to gutters and siding.  It can cause buckling and degradation of your roof.  Also, depending on how long the ice remains on your roof and the state of your flashing, which works as a sealant around your roof edges, the melting ice can leak inside causing your property water damage.   If this happens, find a licensed and insured roofer who has experience in water proofing and damage prevention measures for roofs.  Also, before contacting the insurance company or the roofer, contact a public adjuster who can help you prepare to financially cover the cost of the damages.

Frozen and busted pipes

Frozen pipes can become warped, damaged and burst due to sub-zero temperatures.  This can lead to plumbing problems in your home that are quite costly to repair.  If one of your pipes has frozen or busted, shut off your water valve right away.  You may sustain water damage within your home due to a pipe that has burst but if you take this step you can prevent it from being worse. Next, call a plumber to repair the damage before it accelerates.  Then call a public adjuster who can help you deal with the insurance company. Generally, when frozen pipes occur it is during extreme or inclement weather that has been forecasted in public media. As a result, some insurance companies may give homeowners problems saying that they were negligent and should have followed prevention measures like leaving water running or increasing the heat in their home to keep the pipes from freezing.  An experienced and competent public insurance adjuster, who works for you not the insurance company, can help you file your claim quickly and properly after reviewing your policy and assessing your damage.  This will prevent you from being turned down or coming up short with your insurance company for something that is an immediate need and a potentially very expensive problem that you are going to have to take care of right away.

Fire damage

Fire damage can be totally devastating to a family.  The U.S. Fire Administration provides information and assistance to families who have been impacted by fire. Contact them if you need help. Also, before you use anything in or near a home that has been damaged by fire, you must have it inspected for toxins that can occur due to heat and materials combusting.  You will need several kinds of home repair specialist to help you if your home is salvageable.  Prior to hiring this help, also contact a public insurance adjuster who can help you determine the damage and get financial help with a claim to your insurance company.