Homeowner’s Academy
This is your guide to interesting facts, tips and general homeowner information. We hope you find the information useful – and feel free to share with friends!

Protecting Your Florida Home Against Earth, Wind, and Fire (and More!)

Spring cleaning often comes with a fresh coat of paint. Painting can be a great way to change the feel of a room or give your home some great curb appeal. Painting also plays a role in home repair by protecting the wood of your home against the elements, essential here in Florida.

If you decide to try your hand at painting this spring, People’s Trust has some tips that can keep the experience enjoyable and safe for everyone in your family.

Try Some Eco-friendly Paint

Spring conjures up the sniffles for many people in the great outdoors, but paint may do the same thing inside of your home. Household paints have previously contained up to 300 toxic chemicals, including the hazardous volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that release particles into the air for years after you paint.

Try a low-VOC paint, which tends to be water-based, for any home interior painting. These have taken off in recent years and come in every shade and finish imaginable. Some brands also create no-VOC paints by replacing chemicals with more natural ingredients. These no-VOC paints are often pet-safe, but always check the label and never leave your pet unattended in a room where paint cans are open.

Home Repair Supervision

If you have children, never let them be in a room with open paint cans by themselves. If children are under the age of 10, they should never be in a room with any open painting materials. Even eco-friendly paints are extremely dangerous if ingested. If you believe your child has ingested any paint, immediately call poison control at 1-800-222-1222.

Try Cloth Catchers for Indoor and Outdoor Painting

You can pick up plastic sheets to protect your floors and lawn, but these often move and tear as you walk around painting. Turn to cloth or canvas drop cloths that will stay in place easier and can be weighed down with objects without the risk of tearing.

For painting the outside of your home, try a tarp with tie-holes. These can be staked into the ground to provide a steadier surface for a ladder.

Ventilate: Make Room to Breathe

If you’re painting inside, open the doors and windows. If your room has a fan, turn it on. You want proper ventilation for any space you’re painting to help air out the room and not breathe in paint fumes. If you can’t ventilate where you’re working, get a respirator and only paint in short stints.

Ventilation is essential to most common home repair improvements.

Stick to the Shade

If painting outside, you know that you need to take a break in the shade, but what about your materials? Paint, paint thinner and lacquer all need to stay in the shade as much as possible when painting outdoors.

Not only can heat and sun alter some of these items when they’re sitting in the can, but heat can also be a big problem for these flammable items. The city of Las Vegas actually warns its citizens to be careful when painting their homes or canvases outside because paint thinner has been ignited by the sun and started home fires.

Clean Up after Home Repairs

When you finish painting for the day, clean up the entire space. This will prevent spills and any accidental exposure.

Latex paints can typically be cleaned from surfaces and your skin with soap and water. Oil-based paints will have specific cleaning instructions located on the paint can itself. Take a look at your can before you start painting and write down what it says, because paint often spills on the outside of the can during the painting process.

Gasoline was once used to clean paint off of brushes, but this should never be used. Gasoline is extremely dangerous and should never be used as a cleaner for any object.

It’s always a smart practice to clean up and watch your space clearly when doing any home repair project.

Your home is your sanctuary. Your place of rest. Where you go to escape the stresses of day-to-day life. Unfortunately, there are numerous hazards that can cause serious damage to your home and result in hefty insurance claims. That’s why it’s so important to know the risks … and then adequately prepare for them.

To help you out, we’ve rounded up five common home perils and steps you can take to protect your home.

Water and Flood

Water damage is one of the most common and costly homeowner’s insurance claims. It can be caused by weather-related flooding, burst pipes, ruptured washing machine hoses, overflowing toilets, leaking bathtubs … the list goes on and on.

Protect Your Home: Prevent water damage by regularly maintaining appliances and checking for leaks. An easy way to detect a leak is to monitor your water bill. If the usage is drastically higher than the previous month, there may be a leak somewhere in your home.

To protect against flood damage, consider adding flood insurance to your home insurance policy. Call People’s Trust Insurance at 1-561-609-1000 or your insurance agent today for a free quote on flood insurance.

Wind and Hail

Hail causes approximately $1 billion in damage every year. Between 2010 and 2014, wind and hail were the most common property damage claims in the U.S. Strong winds and hail are often associated with a severe thunderstorm or hurricane, and can damage roofs, windows, and cars parked outside of a garage.

Protect Your Home: You may not be able to control the weather, but you can safeguard your home against excessive wind and hail. Outfit your home with wind mitigation features that help withstand or increase resistance to high winds. If shingles are missing or loose, replace them immediately.

In the event of a significant storm, install hurricane shutters and securely stow away patio furniture and other items that could become flying missiles. Keep tree limbs properly trimmed and at a safe distance from your house.

Residential fires cause an average of 13,000 injuries and $7.2 billion in direct property damage every year. From faulty wiring and heating equipment to fireplace mishaps, a tiny ember can quickly ignite into an out-of-control blaze.

Protect Your Home: Never leave your home unattended while cooking, running the dryer, or using the fireplace, and keep flammable materials well away from heat sources. Consider having a professional inspect your home’s wiring at least once a year to check for faulty electrical or lighting equipment. Test your smoke alarms every month to ensure that they’ll function appropriately in the event of a fire.

Lightning

According to the Insurance Information Institute, Florida is the leading state for lightning-related home insurance claims, with more than 11,000 claims in 2015. Not to mention that lightning tends to have a mind of its own – it can do crazy things like jump from a tree branch to a house. All it takes is one strike to cause severe damage.

Protect Your Home: To prevent lightning damage to your home and its contents, install a lightning rod on your house, and unplug electronic devices during a storm. To help prevent electrical surges and potential fires caused when lightning enters through wires and pipes, you can also install a complete lightning protection system in your home.

Theft

Nearly three-quarters of break-ins occur when no one is home. When you go out of town for extended periods of time – whether it’s a quick weekend trip or a month-long getaway – your home becomes particularly vulnerable, especially if it’s easy for burglars to detect that no one is there.

Protect Your Home: Thieves are lazy … there’s a reason they’re stealing your stuff instead of buying it themselves. The more obstacles you create, the less likely they are to choose your home as a target. Install a home security system, properly secure all doors and windows, and notify your neighbors when you will be gone so they can keep an eye on your home.

Policyholders – Call People’s Trust First

We’ll be there for you when it matters most, in the event of a loss. Call People’s Trust First at 1-561-609-1002. Our preferred contractor is ready to deploy 24/7 to mitigate damage, prevent further loss, and make emergency repairs in the event of a covered claim. They will then work to coordinate the process of repairing the damage and restoring your home to pre-loss condition.