So another glorious summer is over, and what do we have to look forward to now? Just imagine it: 10-degree temperatures, icy slush to drive on, and cold, drafty breezes inside our homes. If that excites you, you’re living in the right area, and you’re in the right month. If the whole idea sends a chill down your spine, you’re in good company.
While most of us can’t do anything about the icy slush or the outside temps, we do have a good deal of control over how warm our homes can feel. The following list of tips provides some ideas on getting your home winter ready. Surprisingly, a few dollars spent upfront not only saves money all winter but makes us warmer as well. It’s kind of like having your warmth and your wallet, too.
Roofs
Most of us would prefer to ignore our roof and hope it keeps taking care of us. Shingles can look OK from the ground but can be cracked, curled, and wind damaged when you get a closer look. And when there is a problem, you can’t fix it in the winter. That foot of snow that will be on your roof in January? Well, that will pretty much prevent any attempts at stopping the mold momentum that will be growing with each passing January hour.
If you can safely inspect your roof yourself, please feel free. If not, hire a home inspector or roofer that you trust. This is one of those items that meet the $10/$10,000 rule: a few dollars spent now can save you a bundle later this winter.
Rain Gutters
Many of us are quite unaware that rain gutters perform a vital purpose. Their job is to capture all that water from the roof and run it well away from the structure — especially the window wells. If your gutters are full of leaves, pine needles, kite string, and tennis balls, then water that doesn’t drain stays right there and freezes leaves you with a problem: an 800 lb. ice cube tray lurking over your head. And it’s just waiting for that perfect moment to fall.
Even worse: when your gutters don’t drain, you get water that drains where it shouldn’t. Now you have water into your window wells and mold in your manor. As a bonus, wet basements are an awesome way to introduce termites into your living space. To prevent all of the above, make sure your gutters are clean, drain toward the down spout, and drain tube at the end of the spout to run water well away from the foundation.
Seals
Nobody loves that waft of cold air flowing through your home in the middle of winter. Where does it come from? The usual suspects are the doors and windows, but it can come through electrical plugs and other openings on the exterior. There are solutions for all of the above, but the easiest and cheapest fix will be the weather stripping and door sweeps at your front and back doors. If you close your door and see daylight around the edges, then you have work to do. Don’t wait until you’re doing this project with the door open in 10-degree weather.
Hose Bibs
Ah, the lowly hose bib. Home inspectors will routinely see where homeowners leave a hose bib attached to something. One thing is pretty much certain: If you leave your hose on the hose bib all winter, you’ll have frozen pipes in the winter and broken pipes in the spring. When that valve is turned next March, you’ll find you’re the proud new owner of a swimming pool in your basement. The rot, mold, and termites will be soon to follow.
To avoid this, get all attachments off your hose bibs — now. Make sure that your hose bib is securely attached to the structure so you can’t pull the hose out of the house. It only takes two screws to do this right, but the absence of those two screws can mean the $10,000 fix is heading your way.
Heating and Cooling Systems
To be able to take care of you safely, your furnace needs to see some love. Get a good filter, and then make sure it goes where it actually filters the incoming air to your furnace. Take a look at where the air comes in and make sure your filter won’t lean, fall, or lift improperly when the air flow happens. Next, take a look at your furnace. If it looks like the place where all the dust on earth comes to die, you might have a problem. Get your furnace serviced regularly.
If you have a swamp cooler, you have some tasks to do. First, start saving — central air is better in 1,000 ways. Until then, make sure that the pan is drained, the supply line is drained, the supply valve is off, and the supply line is disconnected. Next, please make sure the unit is protected against drafting cold air into your home, the power is off, and for good measure, take out the motor and bring it in. Or roll the whole thing off the roof.
Keeping Teen Drivers Safe
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceAvailable Auto Insurance Discounts
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceWinter Driving Tips
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceIn addition to being more cautious while driving in adverse weather, motorists should know the safety rules for dealing with winter road emergencies. Since road conditions can also change quickly in winter, drivers need to be aware of situations and surroundings and be prepared to react more quickly than in other driving scenarios. Extreme temperatures may also impact vehicle function.
Below you will find some additional information on navigating your vehicle in winter weather. If you do happen to experience an accident, please don’t hesitate to reach out to our office.
Winter Driving
Tips for long-distance winter trips:
Tips for driving in the snow:
The normal dry pavement following three to four seconds should be increased to eight to ten seconds. This increased margin of safety will provide the longer distance needed if you have to stop.
Stay home. If you really don’t have to go out, don’t. Even if you can drive well in the snow, not everyone else can. Don’t tempt fate: If you don’t have somewhere you have to be, watch the snow from indoors.
The Secret to Achieving New Year’s Resolutions
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceSelf-improvement, or at least the desire for it, is a shared American hobby. It’s why so many of us—some estimates say more than 40% of Americans—make New Year’s resolutions.
But for all the good intentions, only a tiny fraction of us keep our resolutions; University of Scranton research suggests that just 8% of people achieve their New Year’s goals.
Why do so many people fail at goal-setting, and what are the secrets behind those who succeed? Below we have provided some tips on ensuring that you keep your upcoming New Year’s resolutions.
Keep it Simple
Many people use the New Year as an opportunity to make large bucket lists or attempt extreme makeovers, whether personal or professional.
That’s a nice aspiration, but this type of approach is doomed to failure. Essentially, shooting for the moon can be so psychologically daunting, you end up failing to launch in the first place.
Make it Tangible
Setting ambitious resolutions can be fun and inspiring, but the difficulty in achieving them means that your elation can quickly give way to frustration. That’s why rational, achievable metrics should bound goals.
Be specific. Don’t say you’re “going to start going to the gym” — set a clear ambition, like attending a weekly spin class or lifting weights every Tuesday or Thursday.
Make it Obvious
Experts recommend charting your goals in some fashion, although there’s no universal strategy for success. For some, making a clear to-do list is enough of a reminder; others rely on “vision boards” or personal diaries.
An emerging tactic: share your goals with your friends and family. It’s another way to build accountability, especially in the Facebook era.
Sharing the resolutions is a good way to hold yourself to them. In our increasingly public lives, social media can be used as a motivator.
Keep Believing You Can Do It
To be clear: Simply setting a goal does raise your chances of achieving that goal significantly.
But within weeks or months, people begin abandoning their resolutions as they hit bumps in the road that throw them off their stride.
More often than not, people who fail to keep their resolutions blame their own lack of willpower. In surveys, these would-be resolvers repeatedly say that if only they had more self-determination, they would’ve overcome any hurdles and achieved their goals.
However, there is an emerging body of research that willpower is malleable. In one study led by a Stanford University psychologist, scientists gauged whether test subjects believed they could exhaust their willpower and sought to convince them otherwise. The researchers found that people “performed better or worse [on tests] depending on their belief in the durability of willpower.”
You have as much willpower as you think you have, essentially, which means that on some level, your journey toward self-improvement will be a self-fulfilling prophecy.
Avoiding Slips, Trips, and Falls in the Winter
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceSlips and falls are some of the most expensive claims homeowners insurance companies have to deal with. Avoiding these types of claims can also have a dramatic effect on decreasing your premiums. During icy and snowy conditions, the incidence of injuries due to slips and falls increases. Below are several suggestions which, if followed, can reduce the number of slips and falls or reduce injury if a fall occurs. Please read them carefully.
TO AVOID SLIPS:
1) Concentrate on the path ahead — take your time and proceed slowly.
2) Where possible, avoid slippery surfaces — take a route around obvious slippery hazards, such as wet leaves, icy areas, and snowbanks.
3) Wear appropriate footwear — wear shoes or boots with rough (waffled, ridged, or heavily textured) soles to work and change into dress shoes if you must wear them. The inconvenience of changing shoes is insignificant compared to the inconvenience due to a serious fall-related injury.
4) Use handrails wherever they are provided — a secure handhold can prevent a fall if you should slip.
5) Check those entrance halls and stairs are clear of snow and slush — tracked in snow, and slush often causes slips and falls.
6) Beware of changes in walking surfaces — many falls are caused when someone doesn’t realize he/she is leaving a secure area for a slippery one.
7) Clean your shoes when you go inside — caked snow and ice on shoe soles can be treacherous.
IF YOU SLIP:
1) Try to /roll with the fall/ if you begin to fall forward.
2) Sit down if you begin to fall backward — when a falling person relaxes, an injury is less severe than when he/she tenses. Fighting a fall on ice can cause twisting or bending injuries, which may worsen the bump the fall would have produced.
Christmas Tree Safety
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceChristmas tree safety tips
Placing the tree
Lighting the tree
After Christmas
Holiday Shopping and Identity Theft
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceThe holidays are just around the corner, and it’s time to start thinking about what gifts to buy your loved ones. The holiday shopping season is a fun-filled time, but it presents risks since there are so many transactions taking place and more opportunities for identity theft to occur.
Did you know that according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, an estimated 17.6 million persons, or about 7 percent of U.S. residents age 16 or older, are victims of at least one incident of identity theft every year?
The most common type of identity theft is the unauthorized misuse or attempted misuse of an existing account—experienced by 16.4 million persons. Most identity theft victims discovered the incident when a financial institution contacted them about suspicious activity (45 percent) or when they noticed fraudulent charges on an account (18 percent).
Two-thirds of identity theft victims reported a direct financial loss. And of those that experienced losses, approximately 14 percent lost $1,000 or more. With that information in mind, we have put together a list of 10 tips to avoid identity theft during this busy shopping season.
Be Wary of Contests
Many online contests promising large prizes could be scams, such as sources of computer viruses that will try to hijack your information.
Change Your Passwords
Have you had the same password for the last five years? It’s time to change it up. Create a long and complicated password and doesn’t reference any of your personal information like your birthday. Stay away from using coherent phrases by breaking up words with exclamation points and other symbols, and of course, don’t use the typical “password” or “1111.” It’s also crucial that you use a different password for each account. If you need help with this, try using a password vault instead of trying to memorize them all yourself.
Check Websites
Make sure that the websites you’re using are secure. To lessen your chances of becoming a victim of credit card theft, only enter your credit card information on sites with URLs beginning with “HTTPS.” The “S” in the address stands for “secure” and lets you know that your connection to the site is less likely to be overseen by hackers. This is especially important whenever you enter sensitive information, such as credit card or Social Security numbers.
Check Your Credit Score
As the end of the year approaches, take a look at your credit report to check for inaccuracies as well as monitor your credit score. Every person can receive one free report from each of the three credit bureaus.
Cover Up
Shield your credit card and PIN from view when making transactions so that thieves can’t steal your numbers by looking over your shoulder.
Don’t Trust Public WiFi.
It’s tempting to do your online shopping at Starbucks, but you shouldn’t trust public WiFi networks to protect your identity.
Email with Care
Don’t submit personal information via email, even if it’s for a reputable organization.
Only Use One Credit Card
Shopping online is a very efficient way to get every item on your list checked off, but consider ways to practice internet safety. For instance, designate one credit card for online shopping purposes instead of using multiple ones across different sites.
Take it with You
Identity theft doesn’t only happen over the internet. The police also advise against leaving items in the car as you go shopping. If someone breaks into your vehicle, they could steal something that reveals your identity and puts your information at risk.
Laundry Room Safety
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceAre you aware of the risks lurking in your laundry room? According to the U.S. Fire Administration, an estimated 2,900 clothes dryer fires are reported each year. And in 2013, more than 10,000 children were exposed to dangerous detergent, reports the American Association of Poison Control Centers.
Clean, check and store to maintain a safe laundry room.
What to Clean
What To Check
What to Store
5 Ways to Winterize Your Home
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceSo another glorious summer is over, and what do we have to look forward to now? Just imagine it: 10-degree temperatures, icy slush to drive on, and cold, drafty breezes inside our homes. If that excites you, you’re living in the right area, and you’re in the right month. If the whole idea sends a chill down your spine, you’re in good company.
While most of us can’t do anything about the icy slush or the outside temps, we do have a good deal of control over how warm our homes can feel. The following list of tips provides some ideas on getting your home winter ready. Surprisingly, a few dollars spent upfront not only saves money all winter but makes us warmer as well. It’s kind of like having your warmth and your wallet, too.
Roofs
Most of us would prefer to ignore our roof and hope it keeps taking care of us. Shingles can look OK from the ground but can be cracked, curled, and wind damaged when you get a closer look. And when there is a problem, you can’t fix it in the winter. That foot of snow that will be on your roof in January? Well, that will pretty much prevent any attempts at stopping the mold momentum that will be growing with each passing January hour.
If you can safely inspect your roof yourself, please feel free. If not, hire a home inspector or roofer that you trust. This is one of those items that meet the $10/$10,000 rule: a few dollars spent now can save you a bundle later this winter.
Rain Gutters
Many of us are quite unaware that rain gutters perform a vital purpose. Their job is to capture all that water from the roof and run it well away from the structure — especially the window wells. If your gutters are full of leaves, pine needles, kite string, and tennis balls, then water that doesn’t drain stays right there and freezes leaves you with a problem: an 800 lb. ice cube tray lurking over your head. And it’s just waiting for that perfect moment to fall.
Even worse: when your gutters don’t drain, you get water that drains where it shouldn’t. Now you have water into your window wells and mold in your manor. As a bonus, wet basements are an awesome way to introduce termites into your living space. To prevent all of the above, make sure your gutters are clean, drain toward the down spout, and drain tube at the end of the spout to run water well away from the foundation.
Seals
Nobody loves that waft of cold air flowing through your home in the middle of winter. Where does it come from? The usual suspects are the doors and windows, but it can come through electrical plugs and other openings on the exterior. There are solutions for all of the above, but the easiest and cheapest fix will be the weather stripping and door sweeps at your front and back doors. If you close your door and see daylight around the edges, then you have work to do. Don’t wait until you’re doing this project with the door open in 10-degree weather.
Hose Bibs
Ah, the lowly hose bib. Home inspectors will routinely see where homeowners leave a hose bib attached to something. One thing is pretty much certain: If you leave your hose on the hose bib all winter, you’ll have frozen pipes in the winter and broken pipes in the spring. When that valve is turned next March, you’ll find you’re the proud new owner of a swimming pool in your basement. The rot, mold, and termites will be soon to follow.
To avoid this, get all attachments off your hose bibs — now. Make sure that your hose bib is securely attached to the structure so you can’t pull the hose out of the house. It only takes two screws to do this right, but the absence of those two screws can mean the $10,000 fix is heading your way.
Heating and Cooling Systems
To be able to take care of you safely, your furnace needs to see some love. Get a good filter, and then make sure it goes where it actually filters the incoming air to your furnace. Take a look at where the air comes in and make sure your filter won’t lean, fall, or lift improperly when the air flow happens. Next, take a look at your furnace. If it looks like the place where all the dust on earth comes to die, you might have a problem. Get your furnace serviced regularly.
If you have a swamp cooler, you have some tasks to do. First, start saving — central air is better in 1,000 ways. Until then, make sure that the pan is drained, the supply line is drained, the supply valve is off, and the supply line is disconnected. Next, please make sure the unit is protected against drafting cold air into your home, the power is off, and for good measure, take out the motor and bring it in. Or roll the whole thing off the roof.
Winter Weather Checklist
Arvada Insurance, Blog, Denver Metro InsuranceAs we continue to experience freezing weather all across the country, it’s important to ensure your home is prepared for the plummeting temperatures.
A frozen pipe or collapsed roof will not only cost thousands of dollars in repairs to either you or your insurance company, but it will almost certainly displace you and your family from your home until the work is complete.
Below you will find a few tips on preventing potential damage to your property from freezing weather.
If you would like to know how your homeowners insurance policy would respond to the scenarios below, please feel free to give our office a call.
WINTER WEATHER MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST
A two-step approach is the most effective way to reduce the size of ice dams. First, keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat from within the house that rises into the attic. Second, keep the attic well ventilated so that the cold air outside can circulate through it and reduce the roof system’s temperature. The colder the attic, the less thawing and refreezing on the roof.
Step One: Insulating the attic. The attic floor should be airtight, have sufficient insulation, and keep the transfer of heat from the downstairs to the attic at a minimum. Even a well-insulated attic floor may have several openings that can permit warm air from below to seep up into the attic. For instance, these items may cut through the attic floor:
Seal all openings around these penetrations, but be careful not to block attic vents with insulation. Additionally, pull-down stairs or a set of regular stairs leading up to the attic from the lower level can be avenues for rising heat. Weatherstripping around the edges of the attic access door and insulation on the door’s attic side should minimize the passage of heat to the attic.
Step Two: Ventilating the attic. There are several ways to ventilate your attic. To the extent that household heat penetrates the attic, it should be able to rise and escape through, for instance, a ridge vent, while soffit or eave vents pull in cold air to replace it. Proper ventilation of the attic to let cold in, together with air sealing and insulation on the attic floor to help keep household heat out of the attic, work to minimize the likelihood of ice dams.