Here are other tips:

1. Do some outdoor maintenance around your property. Check your gutters are cleaned out and clear so water can flow freely. If they aren’t cleared out water gets backed up and will pool below the gutters, often near your basement which causes flooding.
2. Take a walk around your yard and check that you provide some sort of drain for the area. Any standing water could leak in and cause major basement flooding damage.
3. Check any drainage pipes and downspouts are clear and properly aligned to move water away from the foundation of the house, and extend any drainage pipes further away from the foundation.
4. Be sure trees and shrubbery are kept neat and clean around the perimeter of the house. Allow space for the sun to reach the ground and dry any standing water beneath the plants.
5. Inspect the house, especially the basement walls; make sure that you don’t see any cracks. If you find cracks in your basement foundation you’ll need to make sure they are properly sealed with caulk.
6. If you have a history of basement flooding in your home, any items you have stored in the basement should be kept a few inches off the ground. The same should be done for any appliances like a washer and dryer, or refrigerator. If the basement gets flooded these items will get rotted or rusted and contribute to the problem.
7. If you don’t have a sump pump installed in your basement, you should have one installed. Sump pumps remove water that forms in the basement and drain it into an area where it won’t cause much damage; a dehumidifier and desiccants can help keep the air dry and absorb some of the moisture that could potentially flood the basement if condensed.

As you can see a lot of these tips are very simple and can do a lot to prevent flooding in your basement. With a little upkeep on your property and some minor adjustments to your basement you can prevent serious water damage from basement flooding.

Should you want to learn more about flooding or flood insurance, please contact us. We’re here for you.

For example,  your home insurance carrier purchases an insurance contract that protects them if the losses from a catastrophe exceed $20 million.  In this case the insurance company that insures your house would pay the first $20 million in claims  and another insurer would reimburse the carrier for any amount above that amount.

The companies that provide reinsurance charge a premium to the primary carriers for the cost of the protection. Recently, the State of Connecticut Insurance Department has allowed  insurance companies to pass along their cost of reinsurance to consumers.

Why is this important to you? Well, if the carrier that insures  your home or business does not have reinsurance they may not have enough capital to pay all the claims as a result of a serious catastrophe. The question is not if a serious storm should occur it is when a serious storm occurs will your carrier have the capacity to pay the claims.

Two questions should be asked of your agent?

1. Does the carrier the agent is placing the business with have reinsurance to cover claims if there is a catastrophe?
2. Will that carrier be passing on the additional cost of the reinsurance premium to the policyholder?

The best way to protect your home and property is with gutters, proper drainage around the foundation, dry wells, underground drain pipes, retention basins, etc.

Resources

If ground water is a serious problem at your house, please consider contacting a local landscaper at best, or a civil engineer to find a permanent solution to the problem. A damp basement and some limited wetness is one issue, but the mold that comes with it could become a health hazard that should be resolved as soon as possible.

If water damage does occur, consider contacting a local contractor to have the basement dried out properly with chemical desiccant and professional-grade vacuums and dehumidifiers.

For more information, call Tim, Peter or Paul at The Haas Agency at (203) 746-5077 in Western CT and (860) 659-1301 in Central and Eastern Connecticut.

Simple steps can be taken to prevent ice dams from forming:

1. Keep gutters and downspouts clear of leaves and debris
2. Insulate areas of heat loss in the attic to prevent melting of snow from the bottom of the snow pack
3. Wrap heating ductwork in the attic to minimize heat loss
4. After a snowfall clear the snow a few feet from the edge of your roof to prevent build up of snow and ice. Use a soft broom or roof rake to accomplish this task.
5. Do not use sharp objects on the roof, gutters or downspouts since that may damage the roof.
6. Do not climb on a roof or use a ladder under a roof that has significant snow on it since and injury may result.

These preventative steps are easy to do and are a lot less hassle than fixing the damage, however, if water damage does occur it is covered under your home, condo or renters policy. Call your agent to file a claim.

In general, water damage is covered when caused by the accidental and sudden discharge of water (e.g. a pipe burst). Overflow of water from toilets, bathtubs, sinks and washing machines is also covered.

In my experience, though, most frustration about water damage comes from ground water or from water leaks that occur over a long period of time. These types of water damages are not covered by most homeowners policies.

In the case of the vigilant or for those in flood prone areas, damage from ground water can be covered by a flood policy, which is a policy that is purchased separately – independent of the homeowners policy.

In most cases then, what can you do to prevent damage from ground water and from leaking water?

Here are some specific strategies:

1. Survey the ground level around the foundation of your house and make sure the ground water can run out and away from your structure. Install dry wells and drain pipes, if necessary.
2. If water in the basement is an issue, you might consider waterproofing your basement
3. Make sure gutters and drain pipes are clear and water is drained away from the building
4. Test your sump pump by filling the sump pump pit with water until the pump activates If it doesn’t activate, then replace the pump.
5. If you will be leaving the house for several days, shut off the main water valve
6. Shut the water valve to the clothes washing machine after each use
7. If there are leaks around any plumbing fixtures — especially ones that are causing damage to walls, ceilings or flooring — repair them immediately.
8. Take notice of any mold growth or damp smells around the house. Remove the mold by calling on experts, if needed. Consider a dehumidifier, and attempt to eliminate the moisture areas as soon as possible.

On a final note . . . you can always file a claim with the insurance company. Sometimes this is the best idea, just to get a formal approval or denial of the claim. It’s difficult for agents and other parties to assist, if the insurance company has not taken a formal position. Unpaid claims generally do not affect your insurance premium rate, unless you move to another insurance company.

Sometimes the source of water damage can be difficult to identify, and you may find it worthwhile to have an expert investigate. Home inspectors and water damage remediation specialists can help in this regard.

We are here at The Haas Agency to serve you with our experience and understanding. Feel free to contact me anytime to discuss your insurance needs.

We use basically the same principle when configuring the protection balance between assets (home, cars, boats) and income (life insurance, disability income, long term care). It comes down to personal priorities.

The balance of protection people have between large losses and small losses needs to be adjusted periodically. Your objective should be limiting your exposure to large, catastrophic losses to your assets, income and family and take a bigger portion of the small loss — the small losses you can afford to handle on your own.

For example: Most people have what they believe to be an adequate amount of liability coverage, usually $100,000. In effect what is actually happening is they are making sure the insurance company pays all the small losses (under $100,000) with the insured willing to pay the really big losses, those worth more than $100,000. At the same time most insured’s select low deductibles on their possessions, in effect capping their exposure to loss at $500 or less. In this case the insurance company is only liable for the limited value of that possession. To improve catastrophic protection insureds can increase the percentage they pay on the smaller losses.

The best way to solve this problem is speaking with an insurance professional and building a long term relationship with that individual, so that he will be sensitive to the kinds of life changes that we all make over the long term.