Feb. 6, 2025
How Can I Protect My Home From Winter Weather?
We bundle up in warm coats, gloves, and scarves when winter temperatures strike. Your home needs extra care and protection, too. Cold conditions can increase the risk of damage to your roof, interior, and plumbing.
Several risks could occur during the winter. Here's what you can do to protect your home from damage:
Snow and ice accumulation can snap tree branches that could fall onto your home, causing structural damage.
-
Cut branches that are dead, dying, diseased, or broken. Make sure there aren't any tree limbs hanging over your home or cars.
-
Make sure your roof has passed a professional inspection.
-
Use a long-handled 鈥渞oof rake鈥 to remove snow from your roof.
Ice dams form when heavy snow melts and refreezes. Ice dams can damage roofs. And once the ice melts, it can leak and cause indoor water damage.
-
Clear debris, like leaves and sticks, from gutters and downspouts to help water flow.
-
Install gutter guards to prevent debris build-up.
-
Have a professional evaluate the insulation and ventilation in your home.
Pipes can freeze and burst in extreme temperatures. Interior and exterior pipes, such as irrigation lines and garden hoses still attached to the home, are all at risk. If you live in a typically warm climate, your interior pipes may not be well insulated and may not withstand rare below-freezing temperatures.鈥(For more, check out our Consumer Insight, 鈥Will My Homeowners Insurance Policy Cover Water Damage From A Burst Pipe?鈥)&苍产蝉辫;
-
Detach garden hoses and irrigation lines from your home.
-
Seal leaks or cracks around pipes.
-
To protect interior pipes, leave your faucet running with a slight drip and open the cabinet doors under your sinks. This allows water to keep moving through interior pipes, reducing the chances of freezing and allowing for warm air to circulate around your plumbing lines.
What else should I do?
-
Get your chimney cleaned and inspected annually, as backup can cause fires.
-
Review your homeowners or renters insurance coverage to make sure winter weather damage is covered by your policy. Contact your insurance agent or company, and reach out to your state department of insurance for help.
-
For more guidance on how to protect your home, follow tips from the .
About the National Association of Insurance Commissioners
As part of our state-based system of insurance regulation in the United States, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (不良研究所官方) provides expertise, data, and analysis for insurance commissioners to effectively regulate the industry and protect consumers. The U.S. standard-setting organization is governed by the chief insurance regulators from the 50 states, the District of Columbia and five U.S. territories. Through the 不良研究所官方, state insurance regulators establish standards and best practices, conduct peer reviews, and coordinate regulatory oversight. 不良研究所官方 staff supports these efforts and represents the collective views of state regulators domestically and internationally.