Insurance covers the financial damage you incur due to a covered cause. However, damage will always be annoying for you, you will have to spend time on the recovery (s) and perhaps things will also be damaged that have emotional value to you but that do not represent any financial value such as photographs, for example. It is therefore always wise to look at how you can prevent damage. Here are some tips.
Sometimes the solutions seem very obvious. Certainly after the damage has occurred, many people will admit that it could have been prevented. Although some tips seem like kicking in an open door, it is wise to check whether everything is properly arranged in your home.
General prevention tips
- Never put aerosol cans in the sun
- When working with volatile or highly flammable cleaning agents, make sure that there is also good ventilation, switch off any pilot lights and make sure there is no smoking
- A surge in power or a lightning strike can damage all of your electronic equipment in your home. You can purchase a surge protector for the equipment most important to you. With the help of this simple and inexpensive tool, your electronic equipment is protected against excessive current supply.
Prevent fire damage? prevention tips
- Do not leave the TV on stand-by unnecessarily, as this has already started many fires
- In connection with heat production, keep halogen lighting away from combustible material and switch it off in the absence, this lighting is also susceptible to moisture, so preferably do not use it in damp rooms such as the bathroom
- Do not place candles near flammable material, such as curtains and use non-flammable candle stands or walkways, also provide a good surface
- Have your central heating and water heater cleaned and checked once a year
- If you have a fireplace, you should have the channel swept at least once a year
- Do not allow children to play with fire
- Do not put cords under the carpet, do not use an extension cord in an extension cord and unroll the extension cord completely on a reel. The heat that these devices radiate can cause them to melt, with all the consequences that entails
- Change the filter of your cooker hood regularly. The grease in the filter can catch fire
- Condenser dryers contain a heating element that must be cleaned regularly to prevent overheating. Consult the instructions for use of your dryer for this
Prevent water damage? prevention tips
- Secure the drain hose of your washing machine with a bracket. Hoses that hang loose in the drain sometimes want to jump out with all the consequences that entails
- Your washing machine can wreak havoc if it floods, especially if it’s in the attic. It is therefore wise to purchase a water stop. This appliance ensures that if the floor under the washing machine gets wet, the water supply is stopped
- Sealant seams in bathrooms have only a limited shelf life, after a number of years they crumble and can leak. Be alert to this and ensure timely replacement Clean gutters and flat roof drains regularly. Because the water remains standing, they can overflow and cause leaks
- Check the rainwater drainage pipes for blockages and a correct fastening. Pay special attention to horizontal areas.
- After a major storm, check your roofing as much as possible. You can now probably easily have any damage to the roof repaired and you will prevent water damage.
- Drain pipes in unheated rooms and in frost-sensitive places when frost is announced
- Make sure you always leave your heating at a minimum of 12 degrees in winter to prevent pipes from freezing. Some boilers have an anti-freeze mode, use it in the winter period
Prevent burglary – prevention tips
- Make sure that the inviting effect for burglars through displayed or visible goods is as small as possible
- Check for yourself whether your outdoor lighting indeed covers all places where a burglar can enter the buildings.
- Keep the garden tidy, garden furniture and ladders can be of service to any burglars. Also provide lower pruned shrubs in your home so that any burglars are noticed more quickly.
- Provide good hinges and locks on doors and windows
- Use a timer to switch on a number of lights if you are going out longer. A switch lamp that switches on when someone passes by or when it gets dark, also deters burglars
- Do not put notes on the door that you are gone.
- Give keys a permanent place to store, but don’t use labels
Holidays
With peace of mind on holiday? What can you do yourself to minimize the chance of an unpleasant homecoming?
- Close windows and doors well, do not forget less used areas and smaller windows
- Do not leave keys on the inside of locks
- Do not block interior doors and furniture / cabinets. In the event of a break-in, this will prevent damage
- Don’t show you’re gone. Do not close the curtains or remove plants from the windows
- Have the letterbox emptied regularly and leave the mail in places where it is not visible from the outside
- Never indicate on your answering machine that you are on vacation, this is a straightforward invitation to the burglars guild
- If you are going on holiday for a shorter period and you do not have a babysitter in front of your house, it is possible to forward your phone to your mobile number so that checking thieves still have the impression that you are at home