During the course of a year, this area experiences many changes in weather. When the changes occur quickly, situations often develop that have a negative effect on homes and businesses. Often the circumstances involve a power outage caused by downed trees. They typically last only a few hours, but the wind storm of February 2006 left area homes without power from three days to several weeks. For many people the power and telephone outage was not the worst of the problem, nor was the resultant lack of heat in the house. Their problems had more to do with large branches and trees that fell on and went through their roofs.
Sometimes more than exterior damage can occur inside a building that is not as obvious from the outside. What would happen to your home if there was no power on to operate your heating system? If you winterize the home and don’t plan on having any heat on during the winter, then the answer is probably “nothing.” However, most people do leave some heat on in their homes and businesses during the off season. They depend on that heat to keep the various water pipes inside from freezing and splitting. When the power goes off for too long, if there is water in the pipes, even the baseboard heat pipes, they freeze and split.
What is much worse is when the power returns, the water pressure and heat comes back on, and water floods out of the split pipes. Within a very short amount of time, thousands dollars of damage are done to the home, the furniture and the belongings. Sometimes these types of leaks are discovered when someone drives by and notices water running into the road from under a door of the house. If the house is not in an area where such things may be seen, the damage, and the cost, becomes just that much more.
What else can happen? Wind that removes shingles and lets the rain and melting snow in. What about the grouse the flies through one of you windows and lets the heat out and the rain and snow in? An unlocked door that wasn’t secured properly before the building was left can blow in and allow animals easy access to the interior. Raccoons, squirrels, mice, rats and porcupines all like warm dwellings in the winter. They are not the best of guests and could ruin much of your summer as repairs are being made.
What about your ice eaters and docks? How do you know if they are operating? Has your canoe blown over and filled with water so that it will freeze solid and split?
Insurance? Have you talked with your agent about the fine print in your policy? Will your home owners insurance cover your second home if no one is under contract to check it? Some have not. Maybe you should ask.
