Happy Squirrel Appreciation Day! Yes, January 21 is the official day on which we honor our furry (and sometimes pesky) little friends. However, if squirrels are damaging your roof, eating away at your siding, destroying attic insulation, or setting up shop in your home, you may have a hard time appreciating these busy little rodents. Read More
3 Easy Ways To Increase Home Curb Appeal With A Friendly Splash Of Color
Whether you’re selling your home or just want to quickly improve the beauty of your house exterior, here are some quick and surprisingly easy ways to do so without breaking the bank.Read More
Home DIY Tips: Prepare Your House For Winter This Autumn
As a roofing and construction contractor, we enjoy the opportunity to help a lot of people. Sometimes we help repair or replace an old or storm-damaged roof. Other times we’re building-on an outdoor kitchen or remodeling a home interior. But sometimes we see repair issues that possibly could have been avoided if simple DIY maintenance steps had been taken. Here are a few ideas for you to help prepare your home for winter weather, and avoid some of the side effects of the changing seasons.
Clean Your Gutters
During autumn months, it’s common to have your rain gutters fill up with leaves and pine needless. If they’re left clogging up your gutters, winter rains can overflow onto your roof causing damage, leaks, and mold. If you’re unable to clean your own gutters, or if you have a particularly high roof, it’s worth it to hire a specialist.
Caulk Your Windows
Houston summers get extremely hot, and you may find that the caulk sealant around your windows has pulled away from the glass. In this case, be sure to recaulk to prevent water leakage, insulate your home for the colder months, and keep bugs out. This will also help lower your utility bills because it helps keep your heated air inside, and winter air out.
Get Your Roof Inspected
This is a no-cost preventative measure that many people don’t know about. A legitimate roofer or roofing company should offer free roof inspections. Go ahead and schedule one now. That way, if you have any loose shingles, wear and tear, or storm damage to your roof, you can find out now instead of the hard way after winter rains cause leaks into your home.
Weather Strip Your Door
You may have noticed, especially during the winter, that outdoor air streams in under your exterior doors. Replacing the weather stripping – in winter or summer – is a great way to keep your conditioned air in, and nature’s air out. This is another project that will save you money on your electric bills by insulating your home better. It’s also relatively cheap and easy to do by yourself.
Insulate Your Pipes
If you have exposed pipes outside, such as around a hose or AC unit, be sure to insulate them. While in Houston we usually only get a few freezing nights per winter, leaving them exposed is not worth the risk. The expense and hassle of having to replace burst plumbing is something you definitely want to avoid.
Mulch Around Trees & Shrubs
A fresh layer of mulch will help protect your tree and plant roots from the occasional cold snap. Try not to pile mulch against your foundation though, as it can make it easier for bugs such as termites and fire ants to find their way inside your home, and during the winter, they often look for warm dry shelter.
Clean Out Your Garage
This cool autumn weather is a great opportunity to clean out your garage and make room for what’s supposed to be in it – your vehicle! If you dread rushing out the door on winter mornings to encounter a thick layer of frost on your windshield, now is a great time to ensure that you avoid it altogether.
How To File A Roof & Storm Damage Insurance Claim
Filing an insurance claim can be a daunting task. You don’t want to get taken advantage of, you need your insurer to cover all your storm damage repairs, and you certainly don’t need the stress and hassle of haggling over details with an agent who wants to nickle-and-dime you (or worse, deny your claim!).
Based on our decades of experience helping customers through this process, we’ve compiled a list of recommendations for how to file a storm damage insurance claim:
Filing Your Storm Damage Claim
- No matter how much you personally like your agent, remember that they’re employed by your insurance company, and they’re a business that needs to make money. To ensure that you receive fair coverage for your claim, start of by getting at least one free inspection and repair estimate from a reputable contractor, like us! Be aware, any contractor referred by your insurance company may receive incentives to save the insurance company money, at your expense.
- Call the “800” number on your insurance policy and ask for the Claims Department.
- Tell the representative that you’d like to file a claim for damage to your roof and home exterior (if applicable).
- Remember that the “date of loss” is the day you first noticed the damage, not the date on which the damage occurred.
- If asked what prompted you to file a claim, inform the insurance company that many roofs in your neighborhood are being replaced, so you had yours inspected by 1st Choice Roofing & Construction, who supplied you with a whole home assessment including photos cataloging your storm damage repair needs.
- Your insurance carrier will then assign you a claim number and inform you that a field insurance adjuster will be contacting you within 24 to 72 hours to schedule an appointment to inspect your roof.
- The insurance adjuster will then contact you and schedule an appointment. They should providing their name, cell number, and the date and time they’ll be at your residence.
- Finally, contact your 1st Choice Roofing & Construction representative and provide them with your appointment information. We’ll plan accordingly to meet with the adjuster on your behalf. In this way, 1st Choice Roofing & Constructionis your advocate as you file your insurance claim. We will ensure that your receive a fair damage assessment, and that you’re approved to have all relevant damage to your home completely repaired.