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The storm season is here, and it pays to be prepared with the right homeowners insurance policy. Homeowners insurance is designed to protect you from severe financial loss when your house is damaged. Major home damage in Reading PA, Berks County, Lancaster, Allentown, Philadelphia and other parts of the eastern U.S. often occurs due to flooding.  Fortunately, today’s technologies can restore your home to pre-flooding condition, especially if you act quickly when water damage occurs.

Do you know what to do or who to call when major storm damage occurs? Be sure to contact your homeowners insurance agent as soon as possible, and to take plenty of photos of the damage.  Remember to watch for fallen power lines and standing water that may be electrically charged. Plumbing, roofing, and electrical systems and appliances should all be checked by a qualified professional.  For more information, request our free report.

Get Your Valuable Free Report: What to Do After the Storm

In addition to providing helpful details on what to check and who to call, your free homeowner’s report will explain:

• 2 things you can do to speed your insurance claims process
• How to protect yourself against contractor scams after the storm
• The key plumbing, roofing, and electrical items to check for when assessing damage

To receive your free report, courtesy of PuroClean, click here.

American Insuring Group is proud to offer you the guaranteed lowest prices on high-quality, affordable homeowner’s insurance from a multitude of competing home insurance carriers. With over 25 competing brands of insurance, we guarantee the best deal on homeowners insurance, as well as insurance for your car, life, health, or business. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote, or click for an > instant homeowner’s insurance quote.

We purchase homeowners insurance to protect our homes, and for the peace of mind that house insurance protection can bring. But what can we do when mold builds up in our home, and how can we prevent it in the first place?

Homeowners in Pennsylvania, and in eastern and southeastern states in general, tend to live in humid climates with plentiful rainfall. This combination makes these homes more susceptible to moisture and mold buildup, especially in older homes with porous foundations.  Therefore, homeowners must take extra care to watch for signs of moisture and mold, and to act quickly to resolve such problems before they become a serious health threat.

Is Mold in My Home, and What Can I Do?

Simply put, if you can see it or smell it, then you have mold, and should take immediate action to remove it.  The first step is to find and eliminate the water source.  Then the mold must be cleaned with a detergent solution and all materials must be thoroughly dried. Depending on the scope of the problem, professional help may be required, which may be covered under your homeowner’s insurance policy (contact us for details).

Get Your Free Report on Eliminating Mold in the Home

Our free homeowner’s report will show you:

• 4 Ways to Stop Water Buildup in the Home
• 4 Tips for Keeping Your Home Dry and Humidity Low
• 3 Keys to Eliminating Mold

To receive your free report, click here.

American Insuring Group specializes in affordable homeowners insurance from high-quality carriers. We offer over 25 competing brands of insurance to guarantee the best deal on the right insurance for your home, car, life, health, or business. Contact us today for a free, no-obligation quote, or click for our > instant homeowners insurance quote.

Many PA Homeowners Caught Without Flood Insurance Protection

Many homeowners throughout Berks County, Lancaster County, and elsewhere in Pennsylvania experienced surprising homeowners insurance claims in 2011 due to flooding. Sadly, many lacked proper flood insurance resulting in denied claims and financial hardships that could have easily been avoided.  From Reading PA to Allentown, from Lancaster to Erie, and Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, homeowners were caught uninsured, underinsured, and unprotected against flooding.

Over-the-ground flooding can cause severe property damage and often presents unique challenges to homeowners as they attempt to restore their homes and property, with or without the benefit of flood insurance coverage on their homeowner’s policy.

Flood Plains and Homeowners Flood Insurance – Don’t Be Fooled

As many Pennsylvania homeowners came to realize in 2011, flooding can occur outside of so-called flood plains, so acquiring flood insurance even if you are outside a flood plain can be the difference between financial protection and financial disaster when a surprise flood occurs. Hurricanes, tropical storms, and even thunderstorms can cause extensive flooding even hundreds of miles from the coast.

Property damage specialists at PuroClean offer the following tips for coping with a flood, minimizing property damage, and insuring a speeding recovery:

1. Get professional flood cleanup help quickly
2. Remove all water, mud, and sludge
3. Remove and properly dispose of contaminated porous materials (including carpet, padding, drywall, paper, cardboard, insulation, and particle board furniture)
4. Sanitize semi-porous materials (structural wood, solid wood furniture)
5. Use professional-strength EPA-approved products to sanitize the remaining salvageable structure, fixtures, and contents
6. Professionally and thoroughly dry the structure as quickly as possible using dehumidifiers and high-capacity air movers
7. Install one or more air scrubbers to remove harmful airborne particulates
8. Perform any needed repairs

To download PuroClean’s factsheet on recovering from over-the-ground flooding, click here. 

Avoid a Financial Upheaval by Adding Flood Insurance Protection to Your Homeowners Insurance Policy

Remember, a flood can cause a major upheaval in the lives of any homeowner. Be sure to carry the proper flood insurance on your Pennsylvania homeowners insurance policy. Then, whether you hail from Reading or Lancaster, Philadelphia or Allentown, Pittsburgh or Erie, you will be grateful that you had the foresight to plan ahead.  Your family will thank you as well.

Need flood insurance for your home in Pennsylvania or elsewhere? Contact the commercial and homeowners flood insurance experts at American Insuring Group near Reading PA.  We’ll make sure you’re covered with the right homeowners flood insurance to get your home and property restored quickly and thoroughly. Click the Contact link above, or call us at (800) 947.1270 or (610) 775-3848.

Small Business General Liability Insurance – What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

The number of small businesses operating from home has exploded in recent years due to downsizing and other factors. As a result, nearly half of all US homeowners are exposed to some type of business liability risk in their home. From the moonlighting laid-off contractor to the babysitter, to the part-time consultant, most small businesses operating from home have inadequate general liability insurance protection.

A business operating from home is almost completely excluded from liability insurance coverage in standard homeowners insurance policies, yet most small business owners mistakenly think they are properly insured.  The resulting lack of business liability insurance coverage leaves the in-home small business owner dangerously exposed to financial ruin from a lawsuit due to injury or property damage.

Do Your Business Insurance Homework

The key is to do your homework. Don't assume you have business liability insurance coverage under your homeowners insurance policy.  The annual revenue limitation for an in-home business to be covered under a homeowners insurance policy is a paltry $2,000.  Any higher, and most homeowners policies will exclude the exposure.  Even when operating for a time below the $2,000 revenue ceiling, there are limitations to what types of business exposures are covered under a homeowners insurance policy, and these often include many restrictions.

Purchase a Homeowners Insurance Policy with an In-home Business Liability Insurance Extension

Purchasing an in-home business liability insurance rider is the easiest and most economical way to cover your in-home business liability exposure.  Many homeowners insurance policies offer this rider for as little as $150 annually.  Some in-home business insurance exposures do not qualify for the homeowners rider. In such cases a stand-alone general liability insurance policy is the solution.

Need to upgrade your homeowner’s policy to properly insure your in-home business? Contact us for a free, no-obligation business insurance review at 1-800-943-2198.