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Burglars will not find your home an "easy mark" if they are forced to work in the light, if they have to take a lot of time breaking in, or if they cannot break in without making a lot of noise. Research shows that if it takes more than four or five minutes to break into a home, the burglar will go elsewhere. Most insurance companies provide 2 percent to 15 percent discounts for devices that make a home safer—dead-bolt locks, window grates, bars and smoke/fire/burglar alarms. However, when improving the security of your home, do not exchange security for personal safety. Do not make your home such a fortress that you are unable to escape in case of a fire or other emergency. Check your Home for Weaknesses and Correct Them Take the time to "case" your house or apartment, just as a burglar would. Where is the easiest entry? How can you make it more burglar-resistant? Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows, and think carefully before installing a high, wooden fence around your back yard. High fences and shrubbery can add to your privacy, but can also be an asset to a burglar. Consider trading a little extra privacy for a bit of added security. Force any would-be burglar to confront a real enemy—light. Exterior lights and motion detectors, mounted out of easy reach, can reduce the darkness a burglar finds comforting. Simple security devices—nails, screws, padlocks, door and window locks, grates, bars and bolts—can increase the amount of time it takes to break into your home. Invest in a burglar alarm. The most effective ones also ring at an outside service. Are any of your valuables—paintings, a silver collection or a computer—easy to see from outside the house? Rearranging your furnishings might be advisable if it makes your home less inviting to criminals. Simple Security Steps Doors Make sure you have strong doors. Outside doors should be metal or solid hardwood, and at least 1 3/4 inches thick. Frames must be made of equally strong material, and each door must fit its frame securely. Even the most efficient lock, if it is placed in a weak door, will not keep out a determined burglar. A peephole or a wide-angle viewer in the door is safer for identifying visitors than a door chain. Sliding glass doors present a special problem because they are easy to open, but if you have these doors, you can find special locks for them. A broomstick in the door channel can also help, but cannot be depended on. Locks Deadbolt locks are best. They usually are locked with a key from the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. The cylinder (where the key is inserted) should be pick-resistant. Ask your hardware dealer for a reputable brand or buy your locks from a locksmith. Windows Key locks are available for all types of windows. Double-hung windows can be secured simply by "pinning" the upper and lower frames together with a nail, which can be removed from the inside. For windows at street level or on fire escapes, consider installing metal accordion gates. Home Security Habits Establish a routine to make certain that doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are turned on. Avoid giving information to unidentified telephone callers and announcing your personal plans in want ads or public notices (such as giving your address when advertising items for sale). Notify the police if you see suspicious strangers in your area. Do not carry house keys on a key ring bearing your home address or leave house keys with your car in a commercial parking lot or with an attendant. Do not hide your keys in "secret" places outside your home—burglars usually know where to look. Vacation Tips Leave blinds open in their usual position. Have mail and packages picked up, forwarded or held by the post office. Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and answering machine so they cannot be heard outside. Arrange to have your lawn mowed in summer and your walk and driveway shoveled in winter. Stop newspaper deliveries. Ask a friend to pick-up "throw-away" newspapers and circulars. Use automatic timers to turn lights on and off in various parts of the house at appropriate times. Consider connecting a radio to a timer. Tell police and dependable neighbors when you plan to be away and join with your neighbors to keep a close watch on what's happening in your area. Working closely with them is a good way to prevent crime.

Burglars will not find your home an "easy mark" if they are forced to work in the light, if they have to take a lot of time breaking in, or if they cannot break in without making a lot of noise. Research shows that if it takes more than four or five minutes to break into a home, the burglar will go elsewhere. Most insurance companies provide 2 percent to 15 percent discounts for devices that make a home safer—dead-bolt locks, window grates, bars and smoke/fire/burglar alarms. However, when improving the security of your home, do not exchange security for personal safety. Do not make your home such a fortress that you are unable to escape in case of a fire or other emergency. Check your Home for Weaknesses and Correct Them Take the time to "case" your house or apartment, just as a burglar would. Where is the easiest entry? How can you make it more burglar-resistant? Trim trees and shrubs near doors and windows, and think carefully before installing a high, wooden fence around your back yard. High fences and shrubbery can add to your privacy, but can also be an asset to a burglar. Consider trading a little extra privacy for a bit of added security. Force any would-be burglar to confront a real enemy—light. Exterior lights and motion detectors, mounted out of easy reach, can reduce the darkness a burglar finds comforting. Simple security devices—nails, screws, padlocks, door and window locks, grates, bars and bolts—can increase the amount of time it takes to break into your home. Invest in a burglar alarm. The most effective ones also ring at an outside service. Are any of your valuables—paintings, a silver collection or a computer—easy to see from outside the house? Rearranging your furnishings might be advisable if it makes your home less inviting to criminals. Simple Security Steps Doors Make sure you have strong doors. Outside doors should be metal or solid hardwood, and at least 1 3/4 inches thick. Frames must be made of equally strong material, and each door must fit its frame securely. Even the most efficient lock, if it is placed in a weak door, will not keep out a determined burglar.A peephole or a wide-angle viewer in the door is safer for identifying visitors than a door chain.Sliding glass doors present a special problem because they are easy to open, but if you have these doors, you can find special locks for them. A broomstick in the door channel can also help, but cannot be depended on.LocksDeadbolt locks are best. They usually are locked with a key from the outside and a thumb turn on the inside. The cylinder (where the key is inserted) should be pick-resistant. Ask your hardware dealer for a reputable brand or buy your locks from a locksmith.WindowsKey locks are available for all types of windows. Double-hung windows can be secured simply by "pinning" the upper and lower frames together with a nail, which can be removed from the inside.For windows at street level or on fire escapes, consider installing metal accordion gates.Home Security HabitsEstablish a routine to make certain that doors and windows are locked and alarm systems are turned on. Avoid giving information to unidentified telephone callers and announcing your personal plans in want ads or public notices (such as giving your address when advertising items for sale). Notify the police if you see suspicious strangers in your area. Do not carry house keys on a key ring bearing your home address or leave house keys with your car in a commercial parking lot or with an attendant. Do not hide your keys in "secret" places outside your home—burglars usually know where to look. Vacation TipsLeave blinds open in their usual position. Have mail and packages picked up, forwarded or held by the post office. Lower the sound of your telephone ringer and answering machine so they cannot be heard outside. Arrange to have your lawn mowed in summer and your walk and driveway shoveled in winter. Stop newspaper deliveries. Ask a friend to pick-up "throw-away" newspapers and circulars. Use automatic timers to turn lights on and off in various parts of the house at appropriate times. Consider connecting a radio to a timer. Tell police and dependable neighbors when you plan to be away and join with your neighbors to keep a close watch on what's happening in your area. Working closely with them is a good way to prevent crime.

Milder days offer a prime opportunity for spring cleaning and home maintenance. After a long winter, be sure to spend some time on preventive measures that will help maintain your home and property all year long. From cleaning out your gutters and checking for dead trees and branches, to cleaning and inspecting your home mechanical systems such as your heating and air conditioning equipment, we offer ways to help make spring a season of safety. Download our spring home maintenance checklist > Inside Your Home Check your electrical outlets for potential fire hazards, such as frayed wires or loose-fitting plugs. Make sure outlets, fuse boxes and extension cords are not overloaded. Move your multi-purpose fire extinguisher to an accessible place, and make sure it is filled and ready for operation. Have your air-conditioning system inspected by a professional as recommended by the manufacturer. Check your water heater for leaks and corrosion. Clean or replace your furnace filter. Clean the clothes dryer exhaust duct and space under the dryer. Remove all lint, dust, and pieces of material. Inspect your smoke detectors. Make sure there is one on each floor of your home. Test them monthly, and change the batteries annually or as needed. Check the light bulbs in all your fixtures. Be sure they are the correct wattage as recommended by the manufacturer. Replace all high-intensity bulbs with fluorescent bulbs. Other types of bulbs, like incandescent, produce more heat than fluorescent bulbs. Outside Your Home Check for damage to your roof. Clean gutters and downspouts to keep debris from accumulating. Remove dead trees in your yard. Keep healthy trees and bushes trimmed and away from utility wires. Safely store oil and gas for lawn equipment and tools in a vented, locked area. Repair cracked, broken or uneven driveways and walkways to provide a level walking surface.

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Get tips on how to prepare for wildfire. Wildfires can pose particular dangers because they often begin unnoticed and can spread quickly, threatening both lives and property in their paths. If you live in an area prone to wildfires, you can help keep yourself, your family and your property safe by taking steps to reduce your risks. Well before a wildfire threatens Keep your home well maintained by regularly cleaning your gutters and trimming tree limbs that may be too close to your home. Be sure your smoke alarms are working, fire extinguishers are operational and a home escape ladder is accessible if you need to evacuate quickly from an upper floor. Landscape your home with wildfire safety in mind, using fire-resistant shrubs and trees. Maintain a defensible space zone between structures and natural growth that is free of brush, trees and grasses to help keep a wildfire from getting too close to your property. If you live on a hill, extend that zone on the downhill side, since fire can race uphill quickly. Prepare a survival kit, map out an evacuation plan and create a home inventory of all your belongings. Visit our preparedness timeline to learn more about disaster planning. If you are remodeling your home, think about including fire-resistant materials such as non-combustible roofing and siding and fire-rated glass or fire shutters for windows. When a wildfire approaches Stay tuned to local news about wildfires in the area, and follow evacuation instructions given by local officials. Review emergency plans with your family. Be sure to designate a meeting place and a check-in telephone number if you are separated during evacuation. Also make certain that everyone has emergency numbers stored in their phones. If you have time, close windows, doors and blinds and shut off utilities. Open the fireplace damper and close fireplace screens. Have your car ready to leave at a moment’s notice and keep the keys handy. Roll up the windows to keep smoke out. What to do during a wildfire If advised to evacuate, do so immediately. Wear protective clothing, such as a long- sleeved cotton or wool shirt and pants, and take a wet cotton towel or handkerchief to protect your face. Take your survival kit and choose a route away from fire and smoke. Follow your evacuation plan and be sure everyone knows where to go and what to do. How to respond after a wildfire Check with fire officials before attempting to re-enter your home. Use caution when entering since fires can re-ignite quickly, even after dying down. Discard any food or medication that came in contact with smoke or fire. At Travelers, we understand that a wildfire can be a frightening and dangerous event. We hope our expertise and insight will help you protect your family and property no matter what comes your way. For more wildfire safety tips, visit the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety® website.

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Cooking has long been and continues to be the most common cause of home structure fires and home fire-related injuries. Whether preparing for a family dinner or a quick snack, practicing safe cooking behaviors can help keep you and your family safe. Never leave your range or cooktop unattended while cooking. If you have to leave the room, turn your range or cooktop off. Wear short, close-fitting or tightly rolled sleeves. Loose clothing can hang down onto hot surfaces and can catch fire if it comes in contact with a gas flame or electric burner. Keep your cooking area clean and free of combustible materials. Food wrappers, oven mitts or other materials left on or near the stove may catch fire. Be sure to clean up any spilled or splattered grease. Built-up grease can catch fire in the oven or on the cooktop. Keep a fire extinguisher readily available. Having an extinguisher nearby is important, but you also need to have the correct type of extinguisher and know how to properly use it. Never throw hot grease in the garbage as it can ignite combustible materials.Be sure to let grease cool and dispose of it in an old can, such as a metal coffee can. Do not store food or other items in your oven. It can be easy to forget there is an item in your oven, and this could catch fire while preheating. What to Do If a Cooking Fire Flares Up By exercising caution at all times in your kitchen, you can help reduce the risk of a kitchen fire. But if a fire does flare up, you need to be prepared. Your safety should always come first. If you are unsure about whether it is safe to fight the fire, leave the scene, call 911 for help, and let the fire department control the fire. If a small fire flares up and you are going to attempt to extinguish it, call 911 for help first. A fire may grow out of control more quickly than you anticipate. It is safer to have help already on the way. Smother a grease fire – never throw water on a grease fire. The super-heated water can change to steam, and can cause severe burns. Oil also can splash and spread the fire. If a grease fire starts in a pan, smother the flames by sliding the lid – while wearing an oven mitt – over the pan. If safe to do so, turn off the heat source. Do not move the pan, and keep the lid on until the fire is out and the pan is completely cool. If a fire starts in your oven, keep the door closed and turn off the heat source.Keeping the door closed will help smother the flames. Do not open the door until the flames are completely out. If a fire starts in your microwave, turn off the microwave and do not open it until the fire is completely out. Unplug the microwave only if you can safely do so. *Source: NFPA. “Home Fires Involving Cooking Equipment”. Marty Ahrens. 11-2013.http://www.nfpa.org/research/statistical-reports/major-causes/cooking-equipment

This year, many parts of the country have enjoyed such a mild winter that even in the Northeast, spring weather seems like it’s just around the corner—if it hasn’t arrived already. Take advantage of the moderate temperatures to get a head start on what should be an annual spring home maintenance routine. EXTERIOR INSPECTION “It’s good to do a walk-around of your property, especially after a storm,” says Curtis S. Niles, Sr., owner of Armored Home Inspections, Upper Darby, PA, and president of the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI). “Winter is tough on roofs and chimneys.” It can also take its toll on windows, walls, foundations, gutters and decks. Roof. You don’t need to climb up there yourself; with binoculars and a keen eye, you can probably spot trouble. Do you see any shingle-shift, suggesting that some fasteners may have failed and need replacing? Any cracked or missing shingles? What about nail-pops? “We call them eyebrows,” Niles explains. “It’s when nails push the tabs of the shingles up, allowing water to get in where those nails are coming through.” All will need to be addressed to keep your roof at peak performance. Chimneys. If you have a masonry chimney, check the joints between bricks or stones. Have any fallen out? Is there vegetation growing out of them? Each signals water infiltration. Also, look for efflorescence—”a white calcium-like deposit that indicates your masonry joints are no longer repelling water but absorbing it,” says Niles. Consider re-sealing masonry with a clear, impermeable or water-resistant barrier material (like Thoroseal products). Brush it on, small areas at a time; let it absorb for 15 minutes, then reapply—it may need a couple of applications. Exterior Walls. Whether you have wood siding, stucco or brick, look for trouble spots, especially under eaves and near gutter downspouts. Water stains normally indicate that your gutters are not adequately containing roof runoff. If you have wood siding, check for openings, damaged areas or knots that have popped out, making way for carpenter ants, woodpeckers and other critters that may nest in or burrow through. Foundations. When inspecting the exterior of your home, be sure to examine the foundation from top to bottom for masonry cracks. “Routine caulking by homeowners won’t do the job,” says Niles. “Hire a foundation specialist who can employ a two-part epoxy injection system that will bond cracks chemically,” he adds. Windows. Leakage around windows will admit warm summer air and let cooled indoor air escape, so be sure to check that any caulking and weather stripping you have in place has remained intact. “A tight seal is the first line of defense against air and water,” says Marty Davis, marketing manager, Simonton Windows, Columbus, OH. If you experienced condensation inside the glass on double- or triple-glazed windows during the winter months, the weather seal has been compromised, and either the glass or the window will need to be replaced. Spring-clean your windows—inside and out—with a store-bought or homemade window cleaner (one cup rubbing alcohol, one cup water and a tablespoon of white wine vinegar will work just fine) and either a squeegee or a soft cloth. Never use abrasive cleaners or a high-pressure spray washer. You don’t want to scratch the glass or crack the caulking around each unit. If screens were on all winter, remove and clean them with mild detergent. Lay them on a dry surface, like a driveway to air-dry before putting them back on. “Never power-wash screens,” urges Davis, “it could damage the mesh.” Read the entire article here. Content provided by http://www.bobvila.com/articles/2355-spring-home-maintenance-checklist/

In the event of severe damage to your home or business, having a current inventory of your possessions — including their make and model numbers — can help you get your insurance claim settled faster, verify losses for your income tax return and help you purchase the correct amount of insurance. While most people think of their home when discussing an inventory, it is important to document the contents of your business as well. Watch "Emergency Preparedness: How Taking a Home Inventory Can Help You Recover Sooner" Here are some suggestions for getting started. Take a picture. Take pictures of rooms and important individual items. Label pictures with a description, including where you bought it and the make, model and serial number. Remember items that are in storage closets or drawers. Video record it. Walk through your home or office with a video recorder or tape recorder and describe the contents. Create an electronic file – Use your computer or mobile device to create and store your inventory list. Take advantage of mobile applications or free online software like www.knowyourstuff.org to organize pictures or descriptions of your belongings by room or category. Store the list, photos and tapes. Regardless of how you create it (written or electronic list, flash drive, photos, video or audio), keep your inventory along with receipts in your safe deposit box, on a disk or at a friend or colleague’s home. Doing so will help ensure you will have something to give your insurance representative if your home is damaged. When you make a significant purchase, add the information to the inventory while the details are fresh in your mind. Consider expensive items. Valuable items like jewelry, art and collectibles may have increased in value since you received them. Check with your agent to make sure that you have adequate insurance for these items. They may need to be insured separately. This information was taken from an article from the Insurance Information Institute (www.iii.org)