Spring Has Arrived: Is Your Home Prepared?

FREMONT, Mich., April 11, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Spring has finally arrived in Michigan and with the warmer temperatures comes melting snow and heavy rains which can wreak havoc on a home through backed up sewers and drains, as well as sump pump overflows.  Many homeowners don't realize until it's too late that their insurance policy doesn't cover water damage resulting from backups, unless specifically purchased.  Now is the time to make sure your home is prepared for Michigan's rainy season.  Fremont Insurance, a Michigan-based property and casualty insurance carrier, offers a few tips to help Michigan homeowners assess and minimize the risks to their home.

"Many homeowner policies contain exclusions for water damage to dwellings and personal property as a result of backup of sewers or drains," revealed Kurt Dettmer, Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer for Fremont Insurance.  "It's important to examine your policy and understand what protection you have, but you should also be proactive and take steps to prevent any damage from occurring whenever possible."

As we enter into the spring melting and rainy periods, special consideration and maintenance of systems should be undertaken to avoid potential water hazards.  Sump pump systems should be checked for age and working condition, including ensuring that sump back-up systems are installed and maintained. The most effective sump back-up systems are gravity-driven because they are not dependant on an electrical power source in the event of an outage. Vulnerable or perishable personal property susceptible to water damage should be elevated off surfaces such as basement floors and crawl space foundations to limit damage exposure. Regular cleaning and maintenance of gutters and downspouts as well as sub-surface drainage lines will help avoid ground over-saturation near foundations.

Exclusions in insurance for water damage were created in the 1950's in response to extensive basement flooding following heavy rains. They continue to be utilized today because many municipalities maintain antiquated sewage systems which fail to meet capacity requirements.  Fremont Insurance Company offers a homeowners endorsement that covers loss to both dwelling and personal property as a result of water back up through sewers or drains or from an overflow within a sump pump, well or similar system designed to remove subsurface water that drains from the dwelling's foundation areas.

This endorsement from Fremont, however, does not cover "flooding", which usually refers to water damage from natural sources or bodies of water rather than from manmade sources such as plumbing systems.  In fact, virtually every homeowner's policy excludes flood coverage.  However, flood coverage is available through the government's National Flood Insurance Program and can be obtained through most agents.  We recommend that you consult with your agent to thoroughly assess your needs, evaluate all of your policy coverages, conditions and exclusions and answer your questions.

About Fremont Insurance

Fremont Insurance is an affiliate of the Auto Club Group, servicing the Independent Agents of Michigan. The company has been a Pure Michigan company since 1876. Dynamic Products, Exceptional Service, and Competitive Pricing have made Fremont Insurance one of the fastest growing and most respected companies operating in Michigan.  For more information about Fremont Insurance you can visit the company online at www.fmic.com, find them on facebook at www.facebook.com/FremontInsuranceCo, or follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/FremontIns.

SOURCE Fremont Insurance

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