Category: Seasonal Insights

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Be Prepared for Common Winter Homeowners Insurance Claims

Preparing for Winter

As we mentioned, the winter is a busy season for insurance agents due to the spike in claims. But what kind of issues are homeowners experiencing the most this time of year? Here are some examples.

Roof Damage

Most of us don’t pay too much attention to our roofs until they are caving in on us. The added weight of ice and snow can lead to a collapse if you’re not careful. Even if the worst doesn’t happen, it is possible to have to replace some  roofing.  Make sure your roof is in good condition before winter storms occur.

Fallen Trees

Branches and tree trunks can drop onto your house with little warning or notice, and the results can be devastating. Although you can’t always prepare yourself for this kind of occurrence, you can remove any old or decaying branches before the first snow falls. Look for any trees that may be leaning toward or over your house.  Talk with a professional about possible solutions.

Burst Pipes

The pipes inside our homes are not always built to withstand such temperature variations, which means that they could crack or burst if you’re not careful. Improper insulation and installation is usually the culprit, and the results could be a flooded home. Be sure that all pipes all insulated properly, and you might consider using spigot covers during cold months.

Fire Damage

As we mentioned in Preparing Your Home for Winter, your chimney could be a hazard if you don’t get it cleaned. When burning wood in your fireplace, use a fender (a short and long piece of metal that sits on the hearth to protect the rug or floor from flying sparks) and a firescreen.  If you are using  a space heater, leave plenty of area around the heater and be sure there are no flammable objects near it.

Are You Covered?

Before winter hits, do an insurance review with your agent to ensure that you’re covered from things like falling branches, “acts of God,” as well as other potential damages. You don’t want to wait until a pipe bursts to find out that you’re not covered for such things. Even if you’ve gone years without such a claim, you never know what the future holds. An insurance review could save you thousands of dollars.

Call 265-922-3111 or use our contact form to schedule your insurance review.

 

Preparing For Winter Series
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Preparing Your Home for Winter

Preparing for Winter

Since your house may get covered in snow and ice, you want to be sure that the severe weather isn’t going to breach the inside, nor leave behind lasting damage that will have to be repaired. Although you can’t prevent any and all kinds of problems from occurring, you can avoid many common issues that plague homeowners this time of year.

When it comes to protecting your home from the harsh winter weather, your primary goal is to make sure that the cold stays outside where it belongs. Also, you want to keep an eye on parts of your home that are exposed to the elements, including the roof, windows, and gutters.

Keep in mind that this list is not comprehensive, but it should give you an idea of what to think about to get your home ready this winter.

Clean Your Gutters

If leaves and water are sitting in your gutters during the cold season, they could freeze over and cause damage to the gutter itself. In addition, if they get too heavy from an abundance of ice and snow, they could buckle and damage your roof in the process.

Overall, you want to keep them as clear as possible so that when the snows arrive, they aren’t adding to a bunch of gunk that is already there. One thing to remember is that it’s best to wait until there are no more leaves dropping so that you only have to do this once.

Repair Cracks

As water freezes inside these cracks, the ice will expand, widening and deepening the damage. Over time, a little break can turn into a fault line, which can put your home at risk. Ideally, you will work on cracks on both the pavement surrounding your home as well as any masonry that is on the outside (i.e., the chimney).

If your foundation is starting to crack, it’s imperative that you patch it up ASAP. If you let it go too long, then it could spell disaster for your house and lead to significant damage.

Inspect Your Heating System

Depending on where you live, you likely don’t have to use your heater until the weather gets colder. This means that it sits unused for months on end, which can lead to inefficient operation when the time comes.

As such, you want to get all of your machinery inspected before the temperatures drop so that you can improve your energy and heating bills and ensure that it won’t break down when it counts the most.

Reverse Ceiling Fans

This is a minor step, but it can have significant effects. By reversing the flow of the fan blades, you’re moving hot air up and around the home more efficiently, which can help you save some money on heating bills. Also, it enables you to use them all year long since you don’t have to worry about the fan cooling you down when it’s already freezing outside.

Clean Your Chimney

Unless you have a gas fireplace, chances are that your chimney needs some cleaning before you start putting wood inside. Many house fires are started from flammable material that wasn’t removed, so don’t put yourself at risk. If necessary, hire a professional to inspect and clean the inside thoroughly.

Preparing For Winter Series
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Preparing for Winter Series

Preparing for Winter

As we’ve seen in years past, winters are getting more brutal and harder to recover from if you’re not prepared. In some areas, buckets of snow and ice can fall in a seemingly endless barrage until you’re covered and potentially snowed in.

This kind of weather can wreak havoc on your home and your car, which is why it’s so crucial that you prepare your properties ahead of time. Don’t wait until the first snow falls to update vital elements of your home or automobile as that will be too late.

In this series, we provide you with some how-to tips to keep your items safe and secure this winter, as well as look at how you can avoid costly insurance claims. This time of year can be one of the busiest for insurance agents.  These tips may help you avoid being part of that that statistic.

Make sure that you are well-covered.  If you haven’t done an annual insurance review yet, the beginning of the year is a great time.  It’s easy.  Just give us a call at 865-922-3111 or click here to use our contact form.

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Tips for a Safe New Year’s Eve and Day

2018 Happy New Year

New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day are both widely celebrated. The new year invites new perspective and a fresh outlook. It allows us to reflect on the last year as we celebrate our accomplishments and consider all that we have learned through the year’s experiences in addition to planning new goals for the year to come.

While some enjoy any reason for a celebration, others also enjoy the new opportunities that come with the new year. It is no wonder that so many people are out celebrating both New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. People begin with New Year’s Eve and linger well into the next day.

New Year’s Day itself involves breakfast, brunch and any other meal that will contribute to the celebration. That means there are many vehicles out, both on New Year’s Eve and Day. It is important to be aware of what that means for drivers.

Be Prepared

There are a lot of people out and about during this celebratory holiday. It is crucial to understand what that means for all of us drivers. We must be aware of the possible circumstances in order to prepare for every situation.

The best way to prepare is to ensure that the right car insurance is already purchased. We cannot see into the future and have no idea what kind of accidents are waiting to happen. We can prepare for it by covering our vehicles for any and every situation.

Stay Close to Home

Consider staying near or at home for this New Year holiday. A celebration in the home could be an exciting, yet relaxing way to celebrate. It guarantees a great night’s rest in your own bed. You will avoid the hustle and bustle of being in traffic.

Pack Heavy

If you do travel this New Year holiday, consider everything that you will need when packing. Do not forget phone chargers or phones for that matter. Make sure emergency kits are packed along with extra food, water and blankets. Check out “Items You Should Have in Your Car During Winter” for more information.

The new year is always a cause for celebration. Drive safely. Be prepared. Relax and have a good time. From all of us at Bob Johnson Insurance, have a safe and wonderful New Year’s celebration!

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17 Holiday Activities for a Family Christmas

17 Holiday Activity Ideas for a Family Christmas

The holiday season is here! Gather around your loved ones and celebrate this year’s family Christmas with these fun activities.

We’ve broken it down into 5 categories: Christmas indoors, Christmas outdoors, Christmas with kids, Christmas with teens, and Christmas with the whole family. Whatever the occasion, this list can get you started.

Here’s 17 fun activities for every family’s Christmas!

Indoor Christmas Activities

1. Create homemade Christmas cards. Break out the construction paper, scissors, glitter and stickers! Custom made cards are a fun, unique activity for families to share.

2. Bake holiday snacks. Gingerbread houses, cookies, fudge brownies – the sweet treat possibilities are endless. Don’t forget to share them with friends and family.

3. Watch Christmas shows. Share your favorite holiday movies and TV specials with your family.

4. Decorate the entire house. Christmas decorations are more than just the tree. Put up wreaths – real ones or ones you make with paper. Hang mistletoe and paper snowflake chain in doorways. And don’t forget the lights!

Outdoor Christmas Activities

5. Take a holiday sightseeing tour. Drive around and see christmas light displays in your neighborhood. One of the largest of its kind is Shadrack’s Christmas Wonderland near exit 407 (Sevierville/Pigeon Forge exit) off I-75.

6. Build a snowman or scatter reindeer food. No matter your climate, there’s a fun outdoor Christmas activity for your family. If you can’t build a snowman, you can sprinkle magic reindeer food on Christmas Eve!

7. Hot chocolate and a backyard fire. Get a few logs and build a small bonfire. If a real fire isn’t possible, there’s always the yule log to compliment your coco.

Christmas with Young Children

8. Establish special ornaments. Purchased or handmade, make special ornaments that your children can look forward to each Christmas and remember fondly as adults.

9. Trace your child’s handprint for holiday paper crafting.

10. Start a family Christmas tradition. The best holiday traditions are unique to the family. Invent something original this year.

Christmas With Teens

11. Decorate the family Christmas tree. A simple reminder of the holidays and a great excuse to hang out with you teen.

12. Volunteer. Christmas isn’t easy for many people. Soup kitchens, coat drives and other charity events need your family’s holiday help.

13. Black Friday Shopping. Whether you go shopping with them or just drop them off, help your teen child score the best holiday deals.

14. Go to the movies with your teenager. Christmas activities don’t always need to be holiday themed. Catch up with your kid during a matinee this holiday break. The key is to spend time with them.

Christmas With The Whole Family

15. Host a Secret Santa gift exchange. The larger your family the better!

16. Go to local Christmas plays and performances. Most communities present all kinds of holiday events – check them out!

17. Donate to a toy drive. Pool your family resources together and help unfortunate children have a better Christmas.

What’s Your Favorite Family Christmas Activity?

Did we talk about your favorite holiday activity? Want to mention something we missed? Leave a comment about what Christmas activities interest your family!

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9 Reasons to be Thankful

9 Reasons to be Thankful

With Thanksgiving in sight, we all begin to make an honest attempt at being thankful.  Have you ever considered that thankfulness is a skill that we can develop?  The more we practice, the easier it is to think of the various ways in which we have been blessed.

Some people practice extensively during November.  Each day, they do their best to post on their favorite social media one thing for which they are thankful.  Still, there are some who don’t give much thought to just how much we can be thankful for.

One aspect that we sometimes do not consider during this season is thankfulness is not just FOR something we have received.  Thankfulness is also TO whoever provided it.  Ultimately, all that we have is provided by God.  So here are 9 reasons to be thankful to God every day.

You Woke up Today

We are all grateful for life, but sometimes we don’t consider that each day is given.  There are many around the world who are not nearly as fortunate.  Don’t let this opportunity for being thankful get away.  We are blessed with another day.

Health

We are not always thankful for our health until something goes wrong or we witness others suffering. We can be thankful to God for our health, for providing doctors and science, and even for His healing.

A Roof

We may not live in our dream home, but we have a roof over our head. It is both a necessity and a privilege. With so many homeless, those of us with a home can be thankful both for the home and what we have in it.

Jobs

Work is work, but we need to be grateful for the Lord providing us with work to support ourselves and our families. There are many who either cannot work or do not have the opportunity to work.  God places us in our occupations and for that we are grateful.

Loved Ones

It is easy to take those closest to us for granted. Tell your family you love them, and thank God that they are near.

Food

We are blessed with not only nourishment and energy, but more choices than ever before.

Transportation

This one might sound a little funny, but have you considered how the early settlers used to travel?  Distances that took them months to cover can now be reached in just a few hours. Transportation helps us make money as it carries us to our jobs.  It helps facilitate relationships as we travel to one another to visit.  It’s never been easier to travel, and we have plenty of choices.  Take a moment to thank Him for transportation — as funny as that may sound.

Good Friends

There is a friend that sticks closer than a brother, and His name is Jesus. He also provides us with true friends in our lives. Be thankful for these people and for God who put them in your life.

The Scriptures and the Freedom to Read Them

Not every person in the world has the freedom we have to even own a Bible.  We have the opportunity to both own and read our Bible without fear of punishment.  Because the Bible is “God-breathed” (2 Timothy 3:16), when we read it we can trust that it is His way of speaking into our lives.  Take a moment to be thankful for the liberty to read your Bible. Do not take it for granted.

 

This Thanksgiving, remember not only to feel thankful for what you have received.  Also give thanks to the One who provided it.  If you have opportunity, you might even share some of what you have with others who are less fortunate.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving season!

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5 Tips to Keep Your Home Safe this Halloween

Home Safety Tips for Halloween

Halloween kicks off the holiday season with festive and “spooky” decorations, fun costumes and treats galore. But with fun and festivities come increased risks around your home that can ruin what is meant to be an enjoyable holiday.

The good news is, you can avoid the risks with these simple Halloween home safety tips.

Keep your porch well-lit and clutter free

If you plan to hand out candy to trick-or-treaters on Halloween, be sure the walkway to your porch is free from cords, ropes, and other clutter that can could easily trip a young ghost or goblin.

Make sure that you keep your walkway and porch well-lit so visitors can see and avoid tripping on flower pots and any decorations or debris.  Turning on your porch light and adding additional lights, if needed, can help you avoid any accidents.

Be careful with open flames

Festive decorations can be one of the most enjoyable things about Halloween, but can also pose risks.  Candles with an open flame can be a fire hazard in your home. Keep paper decorations far away from candles. If you put candles in your carved pumpkins, do not leave them unattended.

Keep pets away from trick-or-treaters

Your furry friends may want to join in the fun of greeting trick-or-treaters at the door, but it’s best to confine them away from young strangers in costumes.  While your pet may be very friendly, the excitement of having the doorbell ring frequently and having youngsters reaching out for candy, could stress your pet and cause them to jump or even bite.  Avoid this situation by keeping Fido away from the front door.

Keep your Decorations and Gags Safe

If you plan to dress up your yard with Halloween decorations, make sure they are not sharp, dangerous in any way, or meant to alarm anyone who visits your home.  Decorations are meant to be fun, so make sure they are just that!

Keep Halloween a fun and festive night for you and your neighbors!

By following a few, simple Halloween home safety tips, you can enjoy the spirit of the season while avoiding unnecessary risks and expense. Keep your home safe for your family and your trick-or-treaters!

 

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4 Driving Tips for Halloween

Halloween Driving Safety

Halloween is always a festive day for both children and adults. Costumes, candy, trick-or-treaters; there’s plenty to enjoy when this “spooky” day arrives every October.

With so much celebration and kids on foot on Halloween, especially after dark, it’s important to be extra careful when you get behind the wheel.

Below are 5 Halloween driving safety tips to help you make sure Halloween is safe for you, your passengers, and the trick-or-treaters roaming the streets.

1. Don’t drive with a mask.

Masks can be a fun part of any costume. If you are dressing up and your costume requires a mask, make sure to keep it off until you arrive at your destination. Masks can obscure vision and cause unnecessary risk to you and others!

2. Use caution in neighborhoods

While you never want to speed through a residential neighborhood, you’ll want to be especially careful on Halloween.

Families with youngsters are out trick-or-treating, crossing streets and walking in driveways. Drive slower than normal to make sure you are keeping the little ghosts and goblins in your neighborhood safe.

3. Avoid using your phone while driving

Cell phones are a driving distraction that always should be avoided.  (See Part 2 of “10 Dangerous Practices to Avoid While Driving.”)  On Halloween, it’s even more important! With children out on the streets and more traffic, you’ll want to make sure you keep eyes on the road.

Put your cell phone in your glovebox while you drive to avoid the temptation to check it while driving.  To help with sounds coming from your glovebox that might make you curious, turn off your phone or if you have an iPhone with iOS11, put your phone in “driving mode” before putting it in the glovebox.

4. Use your turn signals

You should always use your turn signals, but be extra vigilant about using them on Halloween. With the increased foot traffic, it’s important to signal when turning to avoid an accident with other cars and pedestrians.

Keep Halloween a fun and festive night for you and your neighbors!

By following a few, simple Halloween driving safety tips, you can enjoy the spirit of the season while keeping yourself, and others, safe.

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Halloween Safety

Halloween Safety Tips

Halloween can be an exciting time for children and adults. It can also potentially be dangerous. Following simple safety tips can keep you and your loved ones safe. Check out these tips to play it safe on Halloween, so you can enjoy the festivities and have a good time.

Plan Your Trick-or-Treating Route in Advance

Know where you plan to go before you leave your house. Planning your route out ahead of time will prevent you and your little ones from walking to far and realizing too late that you are a long way from home.

Increase Visibility

Add reflective tape to costumes or treat bags. Drivers expect to see trick-or-treaters out on Halloween, but make sure you and your children are visible. Carry a flashlight to light your way and make it easier for motorists to spot you.

Find the Right Costume

Choose a costume that is easy to move around in. If your child plans to wear their costume to school it should fit comfortably and in no way interfere with any normal daily activities. Costumes that limit mobility can make for a long and difficult evening of trick-or-treating. Make sure no part of the costume drags on the ground. This can make it easy for the child wearing the costume to trip, but it could also trip up people walking as part of the same group. Make sure shoes are comfortable and suitable for walking around your neighborhood. Masks can be fun to wear, but try to avoid masks altogether as they may make it difficult to see or even breath.

Be Mindful of Props

Some costumes require a prop to pull the entire look together. Make sure the prop is safe and easy to carry and there are no sharp edges. It needs to be light enough that your child can easily carry the prop along with their treat bag while out and about. If your child plans to wear their costume to school make sure they can carry their costume prop on the bus and during class.

Inspect Candy

When you return home from trick-or-treating inspect all of your child’s candy before they are allowed to eat anything. Any items that appear to not be in their original packaging, or if the wrapper is unsecure should be thrown away.

Have a Happy and Safe Halloween

Halloween can fun and exciting. Putting these Halloween tips to use can help keep you and your children safe and reduce the risk or harm or injury. Safe decisions around how you celebrate Halloween allow you to enjoy time spent with loved ones.