Taking steps to winterize your home and review your insurance policy can prevent significant headaches when the snow starts piling up, insurers say.
“Many folks in Massachusetts last year suffered from ice dams,” said Steve Shiner, senior vice president of Mapfre Insurance, the largest home insurer in the state. “For New England last year, it was a $1 billion problem, as losses exceeded $1 billion. 2015 was truly unprecedented.”
Ice dams, ridges of ice that sometimes form along the edge of a roof, can cause water to leak into houses.
The cold-weather phenomenon was the top form of property damage homeowners encountered last winter, Shiner said. Ice dams, pipe bursts and safe winter driving are his top areas of focus this winter.
The $1 billion in insured losses in Massachusetts last winter accounted for 32 percent of the nation’s winter storm losses in 2015, according to Mapfre, which insures more than 214,000 homeowners in the Bay State.
Frank O’Brien, a spokesman for the insurance industry group Property Insurers of America, was among the Massachusetts residents whose homes were damaged by ice dams last winter.
“Here in Massachusetts, certainly, we had a historic epidemic of ice dams,” he said.
A steady string of storms and cold temperatures kept a thick layer of snow on rooftops across the region. When warm air got into attics, it often caused some of the snow to melt just enough to form ice dams.
The good news, O’Brien said, is that standard homeowners insurance policies typically cover damage from ice dams and burst pipes. He recommends that if people are unsure of their coverage, they should check with their insurer.
“What is a consumer to do? First and foremost, talk to your agent, talk to your company,” he said.
To help control costs — Mapfre and several other insurance companies raised average premiums significantly in 2015 — Shiner also recommends speaking to an independent insurance agent.
“Agents can be helpful with looking at things like adjusting deductibles,” he said. “If you take steps to make sure your house is in good order, you don’t have as many concerns about losses … What we typically say is to get together with your independent insurance agent and do an insurance checkup to make sure you’re covered — and having the right amount of coverage is important.”
Proper home maintenance, Shiner said, can reduce the chances of encountering problems from ice dams.
Adequately ventilating attics and insulating them to prevent heat from rising out of the home are the two main components to preventing ice dams, he said. Rubber membranes installed under the shingles can also help.
Cleaning out gutters along the edge of a roof helps prevent ice dams, while clearing snow from the edges of roofs also reduces the chances of problems.
Ice dams form when warm air gets into attics, causing snow to melt on the roof. Ice barriers form at the edges of the roof, preventing water from properly draining. With nowhere else to go, the water can seep into the roof, damaging the rooftop, as well as insulation, drywall and interior ceilings.
Pipe bursts, Shiner said, may occur when a homeowner is away for an extended period and doesn’t leave the heat set high enough to prevent water from freezing in the home’s pipes.
Insulating water pipes and investing in a leak detection system are steps homeowners can take to reduce the chances of a pipe burst and minimize their losses, Shiner said.
This winter hasn’t been nearly as severe as last year, but there are still nearly 10 weeks left until March 19, the first official day of spring.
“Hopefully, we don’t face another winter like last year,” O’Brien said.
—Gerry Tuoti is the Regional Newsbank Editor for Wicked Local. Email him at gtuoti@wickedlocal.com or call him at 508-967-3137.
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