Greg discusses how to mitigate damage from summer storms in this episode of Ask The Expert. 800 CHAB radio presents Ask the Expert with Greg Marcyniuk of Heritage Insurance located in Moose Jaw.
Here's a full transcript of the episode.
Rob Carnie: It is summer storm season.
We've already had some hail. We've already had downpours, and we've had some flooded basements. Greg Marcyniuk at Heritage Insurance on 800 CHAB's Ask the Expert with some advice on how we can guard against the damage. Sometimes it's inevitable, but there are things we can do to to guard against it.
Greg Marcyniuk: That's right.
With the storm season comes, like you said, flooding, and with flooding, there's a high chance of mold.
So, the biggest thing, as far as with mold: When you do get mold, it affects people with allergies, with asthmas — particularly children and the elderly. So, it's very important that we take care of it. So, clean up any water damage or flooding thoroughly and immediately. Use a dehumidifier and wet/dry vacuum to remove water quickly.
Remove carpeting that cannot be dried within 40 hours. And, if your carpet was contaminated by sewer or flood water, you've got to get rid of it and take it out to the dump. As well, replace any basement cracks so that moisture can't seep in. And, again, use a dehumidifier or air conditioner to reduce indoor moisture, especially during the humid months. And empty your drip pens if you have a portable air conditioner, as well as checking your refrigerator for their drip pens. And, as well, check your dehumidifier on a regular basis.
Fix any plumbing leaks immediately, Rob, because mold will begin to grow within 24 to 48 hours after a leak. It just does.
The other thing with the storm season, protecting your vehicle from hail. And, again, we had hail just a couple of weeks ago. You just never know when it's going to hit. So, if you are driving, do not get out of your vehicle, and if possible — if it's safe to pull off to the side of the road — do so safely.
The other thing is, when you do, and if you cannot — you want to park your car on an angle so that the hail hits the front of your vehicle because your side windows or your rear windows do not have as good safety glass as your front windows. If possible, find covered parking for your car — whether it be a parkade or an awning, whatever. Try and get it under. And then, if so, if you can afford it, build a garage. Or even build one of those plastic garages that you can get.
The other thing, you can get blanket covers, hail covers to put over your vehicle if there is a hail advisory or a thunderstorm advisory. And, again, if you do suffer hail damage, just contact your broker, or you can file a claim online and get that taken care of.
Rob: We had a whole hail of a lot of hail claims not that long ago.
Greg: Yes, we did have a hail of a lot of claims. They are being taken care of. It wasn't as severe as we had thought, but it still did do a fair amount of damage.
Rob: Greg Marcyniuk has these tips and more. And all your insurance questions are answered at Heritage Insurance in downtown Moose Jaw. They are at the corner of First Avenue and Fairford West. It's the building with the nice old red truck on the roof. Heritage Insurance on 800 CHAB's Ask the Expert.
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