Summer Home Safety Tips By Courtney Klosterman, home insights expert at Hippo, the home insurance group focused on proactive
home protection. Safety is an important cornerstone to protect your home from unexpected repairs and other issues. Prepare early for seasonal hazards, such as summer storms and fire safety, by downloading the Hippo app to access your property’s maintenance checklist, and following these safety steps for
summer:
- Practice safe grilling
Grilling accidents and negligence can cause fires, property damage, and injuries. If you’re planning to barbecue this summer, make sure you follow the NFPA’s basic grilling safety tips. Those include:
● Never use propane and charcoal BBQ grills inside.
● Position the grill away from the home, deck railings, eaves, and hanging branches.
● Keep kids and pets away from the grill.
● Never leave the grill unattended.
● Regularly clean your grill to remove grease and fat buildup.
● Make sure your gas grill lid is open before you light it.
● For propane grills, check the gas tank hose for leaks before using it.
● For charcoal grills, only use charcoal starter fluid as a starter fluid; don’t add charcoal fluid or
other flammable liquids to the fire. - Supervise pool activities
If you’ll be hanging out by the pool this summer, make sure there’s extra supervision. Even if there are plenty of other adults present, it’s smart to take extra caution. As an added precaution, make sure everyone nearby knows the signs of drowning, and that at least a few people present who know how to do CPR. - Protect your home and property from wildfires
It’s a good idea to invest in wildfire prevention for your property. Not only does summer bring hot, dry wildfire weather to many areas, but your neighbors might be using fireworks or having outdoor fires—putting your property at greater risk of fire.
Here are some ways to protect your home against wildfires:
● Prevent wind-blown embers: Cover exterior attic vents and under-eave vents with metal wire
mesh (no larger than 1/8 inch) to keep embers out. Install metal flashing where wood decking
meets siding (if your siding is combustible).
● Create a 30-foot defensible zone around your house: Move firewood away from your house,
clear dead or flammable vegetation, and remove flammable or combustible materials.
● Fortify your windows: Replace any single-pane windows with multi-pane, tempered glass
windows with screens to protect them from radiant heat. Fireproof shutters are also helpful.
● Regularly clear out debris: Set aside time once a week to remove debris (like leaves, twigs, and
trash) from your gutters, roof, and outdoor space. Wind-blown embers can light debris and
spread fire. It’s also a good idea to clean your window screens and attic vents of debris. Increase water access: If you don’t already have one, consider installing an external sprinkler system in your yard. It’s also smart to replace your garden hose with a longer tube, so you can easily fill up large tubs or buckets of water in case of fire. - Create an emergency response plan
Having an emergency response plan in place can help prevent accidents from escalating. Sit down with your family or housemates to discuss potential emergency scenarios and action plans. You may want to:
● Check to see if your first aid and disaster preparedness kit have everything you need.
● Build an emergency grab-bag in case you need to leave your property quickly.
● Post the address to the nearest hospital and any emergency numbers in an easily accessible
place, like the fridge. - Check your home insurance
Most homeowners’ insurance policies include dwelling, personal property and liability coverage. The limits on those categories, whether monetary or otherwise, can vary depending on your insurance provider. To make sure you’re getting the most bang for your buck, review your coverage annually. Look up average construction and labor costs in your area to ensure you have enough coverage to rebuild your home. You’ll also want to look at any peril exclusions to see if natural disasters common in your area won’t have coverage in your original policy. Summer storms have grown in frequency and strength and checking your policy before the season keeps you in control.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David cates
