Your Personal Checklist for Springtime Home Safety

Now that winter is starting to lose its icy bite, many of us are looking to our spring chore list. Maybe you’ve already started. Spring is one of the most optimal times to give our homes a onceover to ensure that the ice and sub-zero temperatures haven’t caused any damage to our properties, our external fixtures, or otherwise. Why is this important? Because checking for issues before they worsen or grow out of control is the best way to ensure that we can spare our properties from further deterioration or, worse, from potentially causing harm to our family members and guests.

Excalibur Insurance Group has compiled an easy-to-follow personal checklist for springtime home safety. This list of inspections includes several key features of your home that you should examine to ensure that no issues have arisen over the colder months, what to look for, and how to deal with any vulnerabilities if they should appear.

Outside the home.

The exterior of your home is likely the first place you will notice any issue. A spring inspection is a big job, but it’s important to do to keep your home secure and your loved ones safe. Here is a list of the items you should inspect outside the home.

Your roof.

We don’t want to sound like a broken record, but your roof is your home’s first line of defense. If there’s an issue with your roof, there’s likely to be an issue with other aspects of your property. Unfortunately, roof damage isn’t always easy to pick out. You might hire a professional to help you with your inspection. If you’re DIY-ing this inspection, be sure to check for any loose shingles, chipping, missing shingles, mould, rot, or warped structure.

Your sidings and eaves.

Again, your roof is important – it’s a common place for water to get through into your home, but don’t forget the sidings and eaves in your onceover. Inspect your sidings and eaves to see if they’ve been blown by the wind. When left undetected, water damage can quickly begin to worsen with time, causing rot, mould, and even infestation.

Your driveways and sidewalks.

With time and consistent exposure to the extreme Canadian temperatures, your driveways and sidewalks can slowly become warped. Temperature fluctuations may cause sidewalks and driveways to upheave, crack, and become hazardous to anyone who is walking or driving over these parts. If you notice an issue, be sure to call a professional to do repairs for you and mark any damaged areas so that the risk of injury to passersby is mitigated.

Inside the home.

Among your spring cleaning chore list you should include a brief inspection of your appliances and systems inside the home. Here is a list of a few of the items you should take a closer look at inside of your home once the warmer weather hits.

Your basement.

If water has entered your home through the foundation of your property and seeped into your basement, you might notice a strange musky odour, damp spots, mould, or even infestation. Mould has a distinct odour and can appear like dark and fuzzy spots on surfaces. Unfortunately, mould is generally not covered by home insurance and it’s up to you to prevent it before it worsens. It can serve as a hazard for anyone’s respiratory health. Be sure to clean any mould spots you find with bleach, but check around and inspect for the initial cause.

Your gas furnace.

It’s about time to replace your furnace filter. At the same time, you’ll want to inspect it to ensure it’s in good repair and clear up any dust surrounding it. Remove items like paint, fuel, and paper. If you’re due for a tune-up, hire a professional to do an inspection.

Dust off your emergency detectors and monitors.

Spring is a good time to inspect your smoke and carbon monoxide detectors. These should be dusted off with a dry cloth. Batteries should be replaced if they’re more than six months old, or the entire model – depending on its age. Check with a test button.

Protecting your home starts with you.

As the homeowner, you’re expected to keep your home in decent repair. If anything unexpected happens, such as if your dishwasher should malfunction suddenly and flood, or if a tree branch broke off in a windstorm and fell into your house, your home insurance policy is there to cover you. That being said, home insurance won’t cover damages that are due to a lack of maintenance on your part, so it’s a good idea to keep everything in shipshape and address issues before they have the chance to get worse.