Protecting Your Home from Burglary

Careful planning is key in protecting your home and valuables from theft. Here are some ways to help safeguard your property:

General Security Measures

Exterior and interior doors that lead from the basement or garage should be constructed of solid wood or metal and equipped with dead bolt locks.

A well-illuminated home is less of a target. Programmable timing devices can be used to activate interior and exterior lights. Set them for different times to make it appear someone is always home.

Obscured doors and windows are targets for forcible entry. Shrubs and trees should be trimmed or moved so that they do not obstruct these areas.

An Underwriters Laboratories (UL) approved safe or vault can be useful for storage of your more precious items. The safe or vault should be permanently fastened, rendering it immovable. (For maximum protection, consider storing your most valuable items in a bank vault).

An electronic burglar alarm system can also add to the protection of your home.

While You Are Away…

Arrange for a neighbor to pick up your mail, newspaper and parcels.

Lock vehicles that remain at your home and if possible, park them in a garage.

Arrange to have someone periodically check your house.

Store valuable items in a bank vault or a safety deposit box.

Lock all doors and windows.

Use programmable timing devices for lighting.

Lower telephone ringer volume so that it cannot be heard from outside.

This information is advisory in nature. No liability is assumed by reason of the information in this post.

Spring Maintenance Tips for Your Home

Maintaining a home can be overwhelming, but the impact of not maintaining a home can be disastrous.  Below is a list of home maintenance items that should be inspected and cared for each spring.  Tackle it all in one weekend, or pick an area of your home to focus on over a series of days and weeks until it's all complete.  Your home is likely your biggest investment, so it's important to take care of it accordingly.

Replace or clean your furnace filter - It should be checked once a month and replaced or cleaned as needed. Some filters are reusable and are supposed to be taken out, washed with a hose and re-inserted. A dirty filter can lower the efficiency of the heating/cooling system, increase heating costs and cause fires.

Clean the kitchen exhaust hood and air filter - Keeping this clean of cooking grease will help keep a stove top fire from spreading.

Check your electrical system

• Look for burn marks at the main electrical panel; they can be a sign of arcing inside the panel, which can easily lead to a fire. Loose connections or damaged insulation can cause the arcing. Note: Only a qualified electrician should remove the front panel cover.
• Trip and reset the circuit breakers regularly.
• Remove any combustible materials such as paper boxes or flammable liquids from the area near the main electrical panel. Sparks caused by arcing inside the panel can ignite material stored nearby.
• Check all electrical outlets for loose-fitting plugs they are an indication of a worn out receptacle. Worn receptacles should be replaced as they cause overheating and fires. Also check electrical outlets and switches to be sure they work properly. If any switches, outlets or receptacles do not work, have a qualified electrician determine the problem and fix it to avoid fires inside the walls of your home.
• Install safety covers to help protect children from electrical shock. Any appliance or tool that gives even the slightest shock should be unplugged and checked by an electrician or repair shop.   

Always have a multi-purpose fire extinguisher accessible - Make sure it is Underwriters Laboratories (UL) listed or Factory Mutual (FM) approved. Check the gauges to make sure they are charged and ready to use.  

Make sure the light bulbs in all your fixtures are the correct wattage - The light fixture manufacturer recommends the correct wattage. If too high a wattage bulb is used in a light fixture, heat produced inside the fixture can lead to fire inside the fixture, ceiling or wall.  
Consider installing a lightning protection system on your home
Lightning Protection Systems:
1) Provide a direct path for the lightning to follow to the ground
2) Prevent destruction, damage, injury or death as it travels that path

Protect all your electrical appliances from power surges and lightning

Things to consider when looking for SPDs:

• The surge protector should be listed to UL Standard 1449.
• The surge protector must be capable of protecting all power and signal lines that are connected to the protected equipment.
• Examples of signal lines: phone lines and coaxial cable from satellite, cable TV or external antenna.
• Select a surge protector that has an indicating light and/or audible alarm to show when it needs replacement.
• Look for SPDs that come with a manufacturer's warranty. Some warranties cover only the device; others also cover the damaged equipment and electrical wire insulation chewed by rodents.

Have a professional air conditioning contractor inspect and maintain your system as recommended by the manufacturer
Maintenance should include:

• Cleaning the evaporator coil
• Lubricating fans and motors
• Tightening or changing the belts
• Checking electrical safeties
• Checking the drain pan for leaks
• Testing the capacitors
• Check the condensate drain
• Test the crankcase heater
• Calibrating the thermostat
• Visually checking the wiring for potential short circuits

These steps can help decrease the chance of fire, save money by making the system run more efficiently and help prevent breakdowns.

Things you can maintain:

• Check the condensate hose to be sure it is not blocked with algae.
• Clean the outside condensing unit screen of leaves.
• Listen for unusual noises.

Check for damage to your roof - Signs include missing, curling, cupping, broken or cracked shingles. Pooling or ponds of water that fail to drain from flat roofs may indicate low areas and inadequate drainage.

Repair all cracked, broken or uneven driveways and walks to help provide a level walking surface - This will help prevent guests and family members from slipping, tripping or falling. 

Protect your home from sewer or drain back-up losses - Ask your agent how you can protect yourself.

Check all the fascia and trim for deterioration - These areas can become weathered and worn and may lead to potential water damage.

Check your water heater

• If you have a gas-fired water heater, check to make sure it is venting properly. Light a match next to the vent and wave it out (don't blow it out). See if the smoke is pulled up into the vent. If it isn't, have a professional inspect and repair it. Otherwise, carbon monoxide and other combustibles can build up in the home.
• Check around the base of your water heater for evidence of leaks. If your water heater is over 5 years old, it should be checked monthly for any leakage or rusting at the bottom. If water leakage or rust is found, the water heater should be replaced.

Check the shutoff valve at each plumbing fixture to make sure they function - Know the location of all valves and what equipment and water lines they serve. Teach all family members. 

Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct, damper and space under the dryer - Poor maintenance allows lint to build up in the exhaust duct and cause fire. 

Replace all extension cords that have become brittle, worn or damaged - Exposed wires may cause arcing, which will produce heat and can start a fire. Care should also be taken to keep appliances and their power cords away from water or a heat source because this will damage the cord's insulation. 

Inspect and clean dust from the covers of your smoke and carbon monoxide alarms - Remember: Smoke alarms save lives!!

If you have any other recommendations for spring home maintenance, I'd love to hear them!  Drop me a line at justinstaebler@zingenbraun.com

Happy Spring!!

Insurance in the News

WISCONSIN HOMEOWNERS PREMIUMS ARE VERY LOW
The average premium for the most commonly purchased homeowners policy in the United States slipped 3.8 percent to $791, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners said in its recently released 2008 homeowners Insurance Report. Texas topped the lists for the highest average homeowners premium in 2008. The average homeowners premium in Texas was $1,460, according to the report. Texas bumped Florida, which held the top spot. The premium figures are for HO-3, the common policies, which insure against all risks of direct loss on buildings, except losses specifically excluded in the policy, and insures against perils coverage on personal property. The states with the lowest average premiums in 2008 were Idaho, at $387; Utah, at $432; Oregon, at $439; Washington, at $471 and Wisconsin, at $503, the NAIC report found.

VACANT OR UNOCCUPIED HOMES MAY NOT HAVE INSURANCE
As the U.S. housing market struggles to rebound, many homeowners are stuck with hard-to-sell properties longer than expected. Some frustrated home sellers who must relocate for a new job opportunity, want to downsize or simply want to buy a new place, have left homes empty. Vacant or unoccupied homes can leave the homeowner exposed to loss and liability that may not be covered by their insurance, according to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

WISCONSIN TEXTING BAN ON DECEMBER 1

Wisconsin joined 30 other states in enacting legislation that prohibits behind-the-wheel texting via cell phones, laptop computers plus a host of other wireless communication devices. Authorized emergency personnel will be exempt as will the use of global positioning devices. Under Wisconsin law, effective Dec. 1, 2010, texting while driving will be classified as a primary offense, which means you can be pulled over and ticketed based on a text message offense alone. Violators will face fines of up to $400.

Texting Incredibly Dangerous
AAA reported that additional findings have shown that individuals who text while driving are more than 20 times more likely to be involved in a crash than non-distracted drivers.

According to a new survey from the Insurance Research Council, younger drivers were much more likely than older drivers to say that they were texting while driving. Forty-one percent of drivers age 25 to 39, compared to only five percent of drivers 55 and older, reported texting while driving. Thirty-one percent of drivers age 16 to 24 said they had texted while driving.

ARE YOUR VALUABLE ARTICLES UNDERINSURED?
Many affluent consumers lack adequate insurance coverage for their jewelry because they haven't considered the impact of the decade-long rise in the prices of gold, platinum and silver.  "Historically, we have seen clients underinsured by 40 to 60 percent across all categories of valuable articles, including jewelry," explains Gerald Escobar, principal of Asset Archives, a global appraisal firm based in Atlanta, Ga.

Protecting Precious Items
Here are three steps consumers can take to protect their jewelry and other items:

1. Update your inventory. A current inventory is not only critical when losses occur, or when a major move is planned, it is imperative if it's been several years since gold necklaces, watches, and other precious metal items have been appraised. Review and adjust existing policy.
2. Compare the values in your updated inventory with the coverage limits in your existing homeowners and valuables policies. Homeowners policies have special limits on the amounts they will pay for jewelry and other collectible items. Purchasing additional protection through a valuables policy on an individual (scheduled) or blanket basis is often necessary.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 as part of an annual insurance review. The best and easiest way to keep your valuables well protected, is to partner with your insurance agent for a once-a-year review of your insurance needs.