The thought of fire damage occurring to your home is terrifying, but as damaging as fire can be, water damage is equally destructive. It only takes a few inches of water in areas where it isn’t supposed to be to cause extensive and expensive damage. Water damage can weaken your home from the structure to the foundation and in some situations; it can cause damages to your home that are beyond affordable repair. The good news is that you can actually take preventive steps to protect your home in Plano, TX from water damage. Paragon Independent Insurance Agency has put together a few tips to help prevent water damage to your home.

Inspect the Roof

The primary purpose of your roof is to keep water out of your house. Neglecting the roof may lead to a wide range of problems, including extensive water damage that may compromise the structure of your home. Most roofs have a typical lifespan of about 20 years, so it’s easy to overlook the risk of potential problems, especially if the roof is still within the period of usability. However, this isn’t always true, weather conditions and nearby trees can damage the shingles. It’s important to periodically inspect the roof for missing, damaged or loose shingles as well as damage to features of the roof, such as the flashing and roof vents.

Keep Gutters Clear

The gutter system is designed to reroute rainwater away from your house, but when they fill with debris, they aren’t able to do their job. When this happens, the rainwater spills over the gutters, flows down the siding and eventually finds its way to the foundation. To prevent this from happening, it’s essential that keep the gutters clean and free from leaves, sticks, and other debris. It’s recommended that the gutters and downspouts be cleaned out at least twice a year, preferably in the spring and fall.

Controlling the risk of water damage at the foundation of your home is just as important as controlling the water at the top of your home. Routinely monitor the foundation and basement of your home by checking for cracks in the foundation, issues with the sump pump and damaged windows. If you notice any problems, it’s critical that you arrange for repairs as soon as possible.

Residents of Plano, TX interested in reviewing and/or updating their current home insurance policy should contact Paragon Independent Insurance Agency.

Buying a home in Plano, TX can be a great long-term option. Those in this area will live in a great community and could see long-term price appreciation. Along with this, you need to make sure your property is covered by insurance. The best way to do this is through a full home insurance policy, which comes with several different advantages. 

Makes Sure You Have All Necessary Coverage

The main benefit of getting home insurance on your property in Plano, TX is that it will ensure that you have all the necessary forms of coverage at all times. Homeowners own a major asset that they need to properly protect. They are also constantly taking on liability risk if they have a guest over. To ensure that they are covered for all unforeseen risks and issues, getting home insurance is extremely beneficial.

Allows Compliance with Lenders and Associations

You should also get a home insurance policy for your property because you likely are legally bound to. If you have a mortgage or live in a community with an association, you undoubtedly will need to carry home insurance at all times. Both of these parties have an interest in protecting your property from serious damage, which means they will want you to carry coverage. Not being covered could lead to serious penalization. 

Those in Plano should always make sure that they have a quality home insurance policy. If you are looking to buy a home or are evaluating your insurance needs and options, you should call Paragon Independent Insurance Agency as soon as you can. Paragon Independent Insurance Agency has helped many people in the area better understand their home insurance needs. They can then help someone get into a policy that provides the right coverage. 

Standard home insurance is typically required by a lender in order to protect their investment. And because homeowners have to sign up for it right when they buy their home, they don’t always take the time to understand it. They may end up choosing a policy based on its price because they’re trying to save as much money as possible during escrow.

But by only getting the bare minimum required by the lender, homeowners miss important elements of their policy and they especially miss what isn’t in the policy. Paragon Independent Insurance Agency wants the people of Plano, TX to understand more about what isn’t covered, so they can make better decisions in the future. 

Policy Facts 

A bare-bones home insurance policy will usually cover the building and its grounds from disasters such as big storms or wildfires. It will not cover flooding, earthquakes, or insect damage. It may not even cover your possessions if they’re lost or stolen. So if you would prefer not to replace all of your electronics and jewelry in the event of home theft, you’re going to need a policy that actually protects you. 

Customizing Your Coverage 

The best way to protect yourself in Plano, TX is to customize your policy based on the most common threats in your neighborhood. From severe weather to criminal activity, it just makes sense to take a look at how each clause will be most likely to affect you in the future. 

If you’re interested in finding out more about changing your policy, call Paragon Independent Insurance Agency today. We’re here to help you get the information you need to protect your investments. Talk to our staff to see which policies would be the best fit for you. 

Texas is big. Everything in Texas seems bigger. Unfortunately, this also now includes bigger and more severe weather due to climate change. It is a good time to get a home insurance review with your agent at Paragon Independent Insurance Agency, serving Plano, TX and the nearby towns, to make sure you have adequate insurance.

Thunderstorms and Lightning

The rock band Queen’s lyrics in the song Bohemian Rhapsody say that “thunderstorms and lightning, are very, very frightening to me.” It is frightening to have a lightning strike nearby. You may be driving down the highway and see a lightning strike in a field. It may hit a telephone pole or even strike your car. The bright flash is accompanied by a huge deafening boom.

If your home gets a direct hit, the huge surge of power can run through any metal, water, and wiring to reach anywhere inside the home. Electronics, computers, and home appliances can easily be destroyed.

Hail

Hail is ice particles that form at a high altitude. When they become too heavy for the updraft they fall to the earth. What’s a little ice? If hail is the size of a pea, and it is falling at terminal velocity, it is like a bullet. If it is the size of a golf ball, a tennis ball, or a baseball it is like getting hit by cannon fire. 

The other weird thing about hail is that it does not just fall straight down. Depending on the wind direction and the wind speed, it can fly around in almost any direction. It can come down, change direction in the wind, and fly through the windows.

Anything made of glass, such as windows, sliding doors, and skylights, is very vulnerable to hail damage. Larger pieces of hail are capable of smashing through the roof of a house.

High Winds and Tornadoes

Take a look outside. If there are well-established, tall trees they can be uprooted and fall on your house. Your roof may blow off. If the winds are high enough or if a tornado comes, your house may be torn apart or blown away.

Summary

These are just a few of the special things to consider about Texas when thinking about getting a new home insurance policy or for a review of any existing policy. Contact your agent at Paragon Independent Insurance Agency in Plano, TX to get an insurance review and a quote.