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If you want to be energy efficient or stay warm on a budget, you are in luck. Keep reading to learn about ways to stay warm without increasing your energy bill or reinsulating your entire home.

Check Your Glass Doors

Glass doors are often advertised as a positive feature. They provide natural light and a view of the outdoors. Unfortunately, glass is a terrible insulator. If you have touched a window on a cold day, you already know that. In extreme cases, it is noticeable cooler by a door than it is away from it. A frustrating and expensive amount of heat is lost through glass doors. There are several ways you can combat this heat loss. Replacing the door is always an option, either with a more energy-efficient glass door or one that is not made of glass. Newer glass doors usually have an additional insulator in the form of air or plastic that reduces heat loss. There are options that offer all of the benefits glass doors have with none of the associated costs.

There are other options if you do not want to replace your glass door. Simply hanging drapes in front of a glass door can be effective, even if you only close them at night. An estimated 25 percent of home heating costs stem from heat loss caused by windows, glass doors and skylights, so anything you do will make a difference.

Caulk Around Windows

Caulking around windows is a cheap and simple DIY project that can have enormous benefits. A tube of caulk will likely cost less than $10, depending on where you live and the brand you buy. Use the right type for the job to achieve the best results. There are exterior caulks designed specifically for outdoor use and humidity and mold-resistant ones for use in bathrooms.

Even if you have never caulked anything before, it is worth trying. There are numerous how-to YouTube videos available on the subject and even more articles offering advice. Only apply caulk to dry surfaces. You do not want to seal potentially damaging moisture into a crack, which will only cause more problems in the long run.

Use a Programmable Thermostat

Using a programmable thermostat is a great way to save money, as it allows you to be more energy-efficient. Hire someone to install it for you if you do not feel comfortable doing it yourself. It may be the most expensive advice on the list, but it is worth it. According to the EPA, using a programmable thermostat can reduce the cost of heating your home by up to 30 percent, if you use it correctly.

To take full advantage of your thermostat, program it to keep your home at 68 degrees Fahrenheit when you are awake and in the house. If you are sleeping or at work, set it to be 10-12 degrees cooler. This temperature is warm enough to keep your pipes from freezing while still saving you a considerable amount of money.

Buy a Humidifier

While it might sound counterintuitive, humid air holds more heat than dry air. Humidifiers are fairly affordable, and they are well worth the money. The EPA recommends keeping the humidity in your home between 30 and 60 percent for the best indoor air quality. At 40 percent humidity, 68 degrees Fahrenheit in your home will feel equivalent to 74 degrees when the humidity is at 20 percent.

In addition to saving money, using a humidifier will keep your home more comfortable. There are also potential health benefits. Increased humidity in your home may help alleviate allergies, coughs, dry skin and even sinus headaches.

Cook at Home

Cooking or baking at home during the winter is both cost and energy-efficient. Heat given off by your stove is heat your furnace does not have to produce. Since you have to eat, it is a great way to reduce heating costs during the winter months. Cooking at home has several added benefits. It is much cheaper than going out to eat, which will also save you money. It’s usually healthier too, and eating can help you feel warmer.

Complex carbohydrates are among the best foods to help you feel warmer. They increase thermogenesis, which is your body’s heat production. That means you can snack on whole wheat bread, potatoes, quinoa and oatmeal guilt-free this winter.

These are just some of the options available to increase your home’s energy efficiency while helping you stay warm this winter without breaking the bank. We hope you found this advice helpful and that you’re excited to implement these ideas.

If you end up making significant upgrades to your home, contact our offices to see how this might impact your insurance.

Homeowners insurance isn’t optional. If disaster strikes, without homeowners insurance you could be in severe financial trouble. In short, you don’t want to buy a house if you don’t plan on getting it protected from damage. But how exactly does homeowners insurance work and what should you look for when purchasing a new home that may raise your rates? Here are some things you need to know before finding a place to settle down.

Basic Facts About Homeowners Insurance

Homeowners insurance can seem a little daunting, but it’s actually pretty simple. These are the main things that homeowners insurance covers for you.

It helps you repair your home and other structures on your property

If your house is damaged or destroyed by, say, a fire or a hurricane, homeowners insurance will help you cover the cost of reconstruction, so you don’t have to break the bank trying to pay out of pocket. Also, homeowners insurance covers any structures you have on your property such as sheds, pools, swings, tree-houses, decks, lawns, etc. This way you can rest easy knowing that not only your house but features around it are protected in case of a disaster.

It helps you replace personal belongings

Most homeowner insurance policies not only cover your house but your personal belongings as well, such as furniture, TVs, jewelry, pretty much anything of monetary worth. Also, homeowners insurance doesn’t just cover valuable items from destruction in your house, but even outside your home. This means that if you lose a necklace in a hotel or the airport loses your luggage, your as protected as you would be if something was destroyed in your home.

It protects against liability

Homeowners insurance even covers some things you may not have thought of, but are just as important. For example, if someone gets hurt on your property–maybe your dog bites them, or they burn themselves on your stove, homeowners insurance can take care of any legal fees and medical expenses. Even if you accidentally hurt somebody away from your house, you’re still protected. 

What Homeowners Insurance May not Automatically Cover

While there is a list of things that nearly all homeowner insurance policies cover, such as fires, thefts, hail, pipe bursts, explosions, and lighting, here are some things that most plans don’t cover.

Floods and earthquakes

When people buy homeowners insurance, many take it as a given that damage from earthquakes and floods will be included in the policy. However, most plans don’t actually cover these natural disasters automatically. If you want them covered, you may need a separate policy. Also, depending on whether or not you live in a hurricane-prone location, your insurance may not cover hurricanes unless you specifically request that it be included, and then you will have to pay extra.

Gradual wear and tear

Insurance is designed more for sudden, unpredictable, large-scale disasters. That doesn’t include wear and tear that occurs over long periods of time such as damage from mold or termites. If you want to protect against things like this, make sure to pay attention to the general upkeep of your house.

Government action

If for any reason the government seizes your land or your property, homeowners insurance, unfortunately, won’t cover any expenses which may result.

What to Look for When Buying a New Home

Now that we’ve covered what homeowners insurance is, what it includes and what it doesn’t, here are some things which will impact the cost of your insurance that you should pay attention to when buying a new home.

What your home would cost to rebuild

Insurance agents are going to pay close attention to the age of your house and what it would cost to rebuild if it were to be destroyed. You should too. If your home is especially expensive to restore, it will probably mean you will be paying higher rates on your insurance policy. A particular house may catch your eye, but if it’s too costly to insure, it may not be worth the investment.

History of claims in your neighborhood

Another thing insurance agencies look for when creating your rates is how many claims are made in the area around your house. Since insurance companies naturally want to make as few payouts as possible, if your houses neighborhood is known for a high frequency of claims, it is going to show on your bill.

Things in or around your house which may be a risk

If your house has anything that may pose a risk of injury like a swing set or pool, your rate for coverage may go up. Since these things can be liabilities, insurance companies will often try to counteract them with higher premiums. 

New homeowners have enough to worry about apart from insurance, however as anyone will tell you, it is not something that can be ignored. Fortunately, it’s not as complicated as it may seem. For more information, a quote, or to purchase insurance, contact our team at Bieritz Insurance.   

This might be a little far fetched but it is wise to consider the risks when you allow someone to hunt on your property

As a property owner have you ever thought about allowing hunting on your land? If you have, you may not have realized the risks that comes with hunting on your property. These risks stem from accidents that can occur while others are on your property. Although it is just an accident, people may seek compensation. If the compensation is not what they expected, a lawsuit may follow. It is important that you have the right protection so you and your family are not at risk.

Causes for Risk

Several things can happen with other people on your land. Things may go from bad to worse when an incident happens. These incidents or risks can include the following:

• Accidental shootings
• All terrain vehicle (ATV) accidents
• Falls
• Cuts from knives or other sharp objects
• Boating and watercraft accidents
• Fires
• Negligence

For example, you have a hunter on your property who just killed a deer and is cleaning the carcass when they accidentally cut themself. The hunter decides to file a lawsuit because they feel there was not enough first aid procedures or boxes on site. They also claim that they would not have cut themselves if they had a specified location to clean and prep the carcass. The hunter is claiming you are at fault for the incident. Now you have to fight this claim by hiring an attorney and possibly going to court. Now additional unexpected expenses are incurred to protect you and your property.

Financial Risk

The biggest financial risks for the property owner is having to pay compensation because the insurance you had was not enough or the correct type. If a hunting accident occurs on your property, your homeowner’s insurance policy may not allow for hunting on your property which in turn causes the claim not to be paid. Therefore, any legal, medical or compensation that must be paid to the injured party is now the responsibility of the property owner. These payment can be devastating to you and your family.

Another example of a financial risk is allowing ATVs on your property. Most automobile policies do not cover ATVs. So if you have two hunter’s on your property and they run into each while hunting, your auto policy may not cover the damage to the four wheelers. The hunters involved may look to you as the property owner to settle the damages and any medical bills.

Property Damage

The property damage can be significant. If a hunter is on your property and they start a fire but the fire is not out all the way your entire property is now at risk. A fire will not only cost you financially but would be devastating  because it could displace you and your family if the house is burnt down.

Other property damage can include hunters getting too close to the buildings on the property and accidentally shooting out the windows or hitting the building itself. Not only do you have property damage, you now have an unexpected financial cost to fix the windows or building where the bullets hit.

Differences in Insurance

As a property owner you have property and automobile insurance to cover your property. But that coverage may not be enough or even cover your property if you allow hunting on your land. There is a specific insurance that covers the land owner and hunters if an accident or property damage occurs from hunting. This insurance is hunting insurance.

When looking for hunting insurance review the following:

• Coverage – know what is covered and what is not. Make sure the policy covers incidents with all hunting equipment like ATV’s, firearms, dogs, treestands, and boats
• Cost – look for any hidden fees and costs like annual membership dues for a hunting club
• Exclusions – read all exclusions carefully and ask questions. Make sure you fully understand the exclusions so you do not have unexpected issues later on

Minimizing Risks

Be proactive! As a property owner minimize your risks by:

• Making sure all hunters know any and all rules you have established
• Anyone hunting on your property must complete a hunters safety education course
• Clearly mark your property lines so the hunters stay on your property
• Establish emergency plans and make all hunters aware of them – review them frequently
• Create a procedure for hunters to report maintenance problems like a broken treestand
• Review your hunting insurance policy annually and understand any changes to the policy

Having hunting insurance is an important piece of security for a property owner. You hope that you will never need to use it but you have the extra protection for you and your family.

Contact us at https://www.bieritzinsurance.com/contact-us/ with any questions regarding hunting insurance or to establish a policy.

How do you know if you have a high risk pet that will affect either your ability to get insurance or the cost of your current homeowners policy? Insurance companies consider certain dog breeds to be high risk because these breeds tend to be more aggressive and are therefore deemed to be more dangerous:

It’s always an exciting time when your child graduates high school and begins a new career as a college student. Parents often face a mixture of emotions as they watch their children transition from high school to college. On one hand, your student has worked hard to graduate, and is stepping into a new life. One the other, that life is often away from the comforts and familiar faces of their hometown. Bieritz Insurance understands this is both an exciting and sometimes challenging time in the lives of both the students and the parents, and wants to help add an extra sense of security for both.

Once upon a time, when a child graduated high school, a graduation watch was the standard gift. As technology has advanced, this has lost its favor. Many parents gift their children a new, top-of-the-line laptop at graduation. The reason is simple – they’re useful, and required for studying and doing homework. Parents want to give their child a gift that will help them to succeed, and students love having a laptop that they can not only take from class to class, but use for leisure time when in the dorm room or with friends. For these reasons, laptops are becoming a very popular gift for college-bound students.

Other common gifts include cell phones, room decor, bicycles and luggage. Everyone is excited to see their students enter a new phase of life, and give the best possible gifts they can afford to help make the shift to college life a smooth transition. What is often overlooked, however, is that students come to the dorm with thousands of dollars worth of items, and the university typically doesn’t offer any sort of reimbursement for lost or stolen items on campus. While students can make a police report and hope a stolen item is returned, if an item is lost, stolen or damaged, the only recourse is to replace it. Unless it’s a manufacture defect for something under warranty, the full price of replacement will be paid by either the student or the parents.

What most people don’t consider is how they can protect the value of those very expensive items once the student is in the dorm room. A lost cell phone? Stolen computer? A dorm mate spills water on their electronics? After investing so much money in helping their student succeed, most parents are confused when it comes to taking the obvious step in protecting those items through insurance. It can be hard to tell what insurance would be best, or what is covered through different plans, and there’s nothing worse than paying your premiums only to find out your coverage is low or your deductibles are high. Our team at Bieritz Insurance understands that deciding on a policy can be confusing, and we can help you find the policy you need.

Bieritz Insurance offers private insurance policies to cover many of these expenses and protect your investment. After all, we are a family-owned and operated agency and understand your concerns. We’ve been in business for over 70 years and have received recognition for being one of the top 30 independent agencies. We hope that we can earn your trust as a customer while providing peace of mind. We’d like to take a moment to explain the different insurance policies that can help protect your college student’s belongings while they are living on-campus.

Homeowner’s Insurance

While most homeowners insurance will extend a portion of coverage to your student off campus, you may be surprised by how little is actually covered. Many homeowners insurance policies only extend a percentage of your limit for items in your home to off campus locations. For example, if you have a $50 thousand dollar policy, only 10 percent of that may apply. Homeowners insurance may also carry variable deductibles that could be higher than replacement value for some items that are lost, damaged or stolen.

Renters Insurance

Renters insurance is designed to offer coverage for items, but it also covers a lot that a dorm student might not need, such as liability for pet bites or slip and fall hazards around the building. As a dorm student, pets aren’t usually allowed and the facility upkeep is the responsibility of the University, so why pay premiums for something that you don’t need?

Dorm Insurance

Dorm insurance is beneficial because it insures only what you want – your belongings – and the deductibles are generally reasonable.  Dorm insurance offers an easy and relatively inexpensive way to protect the value of personal items to a higher value than your homeowner’s extension policy, while keeping deductibles low.

As you can see, there are many different types of insurance options available for your student. Deciding which one works the best for you depends on what your needs are. Please contact us at https://www.bieritzinsurance.com so that we can help you and your family pick exactly the policy that fits your budget and insurance requirements. We look forward to serving you!

Summer. It’s the time of year when the days are long and hot. The kids are out of school and nothing seems like a better idea than hanging out around the pool with your family, hosting backyard bbq parties, and enjoying those extra hours of sunshine. It’s not surprising, then, that many homeowners turn their eyes to their own backyards to contemplate the addition of a pool to their property. Homeowners that already have a pool installed will spend time cleaning and prepping the area in anticipation of summer parties and get togethers. Whether you have a pool or are planning to install one, here are some safety tips to help you enjoy it more and worry less.

Safety Features Every Pool Should Have

Fences

There’s an old saying that goes : Good fences make good neighbors. In the world of private pools, good fences make, well, good pools. It’s not just a good safety feature to install a fence around your pool, it may be required depending on your state. Fences around the pool will not only help prevent a small child from falling in during a get-together, they can help protect the homeowner by preventing others from using their pool without their knowledge or permission. Pool fence codes can vary,and Bieritz Insurance Agency can help you decide what type of fence would work best for your needs and comply with any state standards. If you already have a pool fence installed, be sure to check it annually for any loose posts and schedule to have repairs done quickly.

Ladders, Slides and Diving Boards, Oh My!

Homeowners often overlook the accessories added to pools that make them even more fun. Ladders, slides and diving boards should also be inspected regularly to ensure they haven’t been damaged while in storage or during the last year of use. Accidents can happen anytime, and unnoticed damage to pool equipment can increase their likelihood, so be sure everything is in good working order before opening your pool. Ladders that are removable should be taken out  and stored every season for in-ground pools, and above-ground pools should have stow away ladders that can be folded and inaccessible when the pool is not in use. This will prevent any curious children from climbing the ladder and entering the pool without the homeowner knowing.

Pool Covers

Pool covers have moved beyond just helping to keep your pool clean when not in use, to being safety features of their own. Some pool covers are designed to hold more weight and work to prevent accidental fall ins. On the topic of keeping the pool clean, be sure to test your water regularly and treat the pool as indicated by the installer. Keeping the water clean will help limit the potential of bacteria growth within the pool, aiding in preventing rashes and other skin conditions that may be caused by untreated water. Additionally, this helps maintain the pool’s filtration system, so by keeping your pool clean you are not only being safe but protecting your investment.

Pool Alarms

Pool alarms are relatively new to pool safety, but they are being recognized as one of the best safety measures for your backyard pool. In fact, some local municipalities or states require their installation. There are four types of pool alarms, those that attach to doors leading to the pool, those that either float in the pool or are installed submerged, and those that can be worn on the wrist of an individual. Bieritz Insurance Agency can help you decide which would work for the local municipal codes in your area.

Plan Ahead

One of the best tips for pool safety is to plan ahead. Make sure that you have everything you’ll need: towels, sunblock, etc., with you when you go out to your pool. By ensuring that you don’t have to run back in you will help keep everyone safe by not leaving anyone alone in the pool. If you must go back in, make sure to not leave children unattended and bring them inside. Teach your family proper pool safety rules such as no running, horseplay, the rules of diving, and to never swim alone. Teach kids the potential dangers of drain vents in pools and caution them against playing with the filtration system of your pool. When you have that backyard BBQ, make sure to tell guests with young children you have a pool so everyone can be vigilant.

Bieritz Insurance Agency understands your concerns when installing or maintaining a pool on your property. We want you to be able to relax and enjoy every moment of your investment in your property and families leisure time. We hope you’ve enjoyed reading our tips to pool safety so that you can greet those long days of summer with a smile.  If you have any questions regarding your insurance needs for your pool or other summer recreational features, please feel free to contact us at our offices in Cooperstown and Morris, NY. We are happy to assist you!

Did you know that there are about 1,400 cooking fires per year on Thanksgiving?  This is more than 3X the average for every other day of the year!  Furthermore, since 2004 there have been 107 fires due to frying turkey that have caused 47 burns and $5.2 millions worth of property damage!  Keep in mind the following tips to prevent accidents in your kitchen when you are cooking for the holidays.

Prevention

• Make sure there is someone to watch over cooking operations as much as possible.
• Tie long hair back and restrict or don’t wear drooping clothing that may easily catch fire.
• Try to put meal-preparation tools that are flammable in a separate area.
• Closely supervise cooking children or designate a distant playing space.
• Keep watch over and clear away any grease buildup throughout the day.
• Keep pan handles out of the way of passing traffic as much as possible.
• Ensure that there are working smoke detectors installed on each floor, and perhaps get a photoelectric alarm that can determine the difference between smoke from cooking and smoke from fire.
• If you choose to use a turkey fryer, set it up far outside and away from your house, not on the porch or in the garage.  Make sure the turkey is thoroughly thawed and dried before beginning.  Make sure you put only as much oil in it as you need.  If it starts to smoke, turn off the gas supply.  Also keep close watch.
• Keep a fire extinguisher nearby and learn how to use it.

Action After An Accident

In the event that there is a grease fire, call 911 as soon as possible and do not to attempt to put it out with water.  If someone’s clothing is on fire, remember or remind the person to stop, drop, and roll.  If someone is burned, further action is needed depending on which level of the skin it reaches.  For more information on treating minor burns, follow this link.

Remember, your insurance provider can help you navigate out of this kind of crisis.  You can reach our team at Bieritz Insurance in Cooperstown at 607-547-2951 or at Morris Insurance at 607-263-5170.

For additional information on things you can do to prevent accidents during the holidays, check out Safety Tips for the Holiday Season and Top Ten Holiday Safety Tips.

Every old house homeowner knows there are time of the year when they find some unexpected house guests.  When the weather warms in the spring and summer months, the small trails of ants might appear in your kitchen, and in the fall months, as the weather cools, there are sometimes little creepers that find their way into your pantry.

Most people prefer to see their local wildlife outdoors, in the wild, where they belong.  But sometimes, they find their way into your home and you need to take action to eradicate/evict them.  Why are they there?  Habitat is a requirement for all living things.  This includes food, water, shelter and space.  If your home provides easy access to these resources, chances are you will find yourself playing the unwilling host.

Don’t Open the Door

One of the best methods to eliminate a pest problem is to make it hard for pests to find what they need.  Check for possible entry points around your home – a gap in your window screening, a broken window in your basement or maybe a garage door that doesn’t close properly may be easy access points to your house.  Do a general inspection each Spring and Fall for needed repairs to prevent pests from entering your home.  Is your crawl space protected? Do your windows need resealing? Does your attic screen need repair? Is your chimney capped?  Preventing entry in the first place is always a good place to begin.

Don’t Feed Your Guests

Next, look at your food sources.  Did someone spill the sugar?  Are there crumbs under your toaster? Is there food in your pantry that should be stored in a canister?  If pests cannot find something to eat in your home, chances are they will have to find somewhere else to live.  A thorough cleaning of your pantry and kitchen/dining areas will often help to assure that food particles are not available and will make it a harder or more unfriendly environment for pests, reducing the chances that they will take up a more permanent residence in your home.

Eviction

Sometimes, steps have to be taken to force your unwanted guests out.  That wasp nest on your roof porch needs to go!  If you use spray insecticides, make sure you follow the directions carefully and practice extra caution if you have pets or children in your household.  For small mammals like mice, avoid using poisons if you can since these animals are often prey for cats and other predators, and poisons often travel through the food chain and will impact more than that one intended nuisance target.  Trap and release works well as an alternative, but there are times when spring traps (for mice) or bait traps (for insects) might be necessary.

Get Help

If all else fails, it’s time to turn to the “Yellow Pages” or your favorite online directory to find professionals in your area that can help you with pest control.  Try to get recommendations from friends or maybe a local realtor to find out who might be best for the job.

Recap

Prevention is always the best method of control, but if you see or hear signs of unwanted guests in your home, then it’s too late.  You are closing the barn door after the horses get out (or the raccoons got in).  Do what you can to eliminate entry areas and habitat for your pests and if that fails, then move along to take more extreme (and often more costly) measures.  Pests are nuisances, but they can also do considerable damage to your home (chewed electrical wiring, structural wood damage).  Action is necessary to make your home inhospitable – for both short-term and long-term control.

If you have questions about whether pest damage to your home is covered by your insurance policy, give our team at Bieritz Insurance a call at (607) 547-2951 or stop in at our offices at 209 Main Street, Cooperstown.

Spring is here and with the season’s change comes the rain.  It seems that we have had a good deal of precipitation just over the last two weeks in our region – and if you are looking at our local rivers and streams, we are noticing that the water is running fast and high.  Floods happen everywhere – they are not relegated to specific regions like tornadoes or hurricanes.  Our area has certainly had more than a few years over this last decade where flooding has been severe.  For safety, please keep an ear out for warnings and follow the safety suggestions below!

• Flood insurance often takes up to 30 days to go into effect, so if you are in need of a rider, you need to plan for this well in advance.  Our team can provide you with additional information and details on how flood insurance works.
• Prepare for emergency situations with your family.  Hold a meeting and talk about what needs to be done in case of a flood, have a plan for communications in case people are at work or at school, and don’t forget about your pets.
• Make up several emergency kits and keep one at your office, your home and your family vehicles.  If you don’t know what should be in your emergency kit, you can find information here: https://www.ready.gov/kit
• Be aware of flood warnings and move to higher ground.  If you are advised to evacuate, please do so.  If you are already on higher ground, be prepared to stay there until it is safe to travel.
• Check on your neighbors.
• Never drive or walk through flooded streets.

Find more details on what to do before, during and after a flood at http://www.susquehannafloodforecasting.org/before-during-after.html

The Fall Season has officially arrived in our area with the first frost (last night) and the cooler temperatures means that it’s time to start using our fireplaces and wood-burning stoves to help warm a room or to take a bit of the chill out of the air.  Before you begin to use these, however, it is recommended to inspect and clean them to make sure they are safe to operate.  According to the National Fire Protection Association, this should be done at least once a year, usually in the fall months.

A chimney inspection will check for soundness, freedom from deposits and correct clearances.  Even if you don’t use your chimney often, there may be nesting materials from animals or other types of deterioration that make the chimney unsafe to use.  A chimney sweep will clear out any sooty buildup in the chimney (1/8″ can be enough to cause a chimney fire that could damage the chimney or spread to the home), and will typically also include cleaning of the chimney flue and smoke chamber.  Sooty deposits are also very acidic and can shorten the life of your fireplace and chimney.

Over time, chimneys may become clogged with creosote, a by-product of burning wood.  This builds up over time and leaves a highly combustible glazed coating on the inside of the chimney.  Creosote build up is often caused by poor air supply, so your regular chimney cleaning helps to prevent creosote formation as well.  Chimneys with poor air flow can also cause the buildup of carbon monoxide in your home.  At low levels, carbon monoxide can cause headaches, dizziness, nausea, confusion and fainting, and at high levels, it can be deadly.
When a chimney is not cleaned regularly, there is the chance that soot will accumulate around the flue which inhibits the ability to draw smoke up the chimney and instead causes smoke to enter the room.  A black film around your fireplace, or on nearby furniture, carpeting or decorations, this indicates that your chimney is not working properly.

In addition to annual maintenance, we encourage our families, friends, and clients to always use safe fireplace practices:

• use appropriate fuel for your fires;
• use fireplace screens to protect nearby areas and provide a reliable barrier from embers;
• maintain a safe zone of 36 inches or more around your fireplace or stove;
• never leave a fire unattended
• install monitoring equipment for smoke and carbon monoxide

Taking these steps help to protect your family and your home.  If you have any questions about your homeowners insurance and chimney fires, please contact our team at Bieritz Insurance Agency – located Cooperstown at 547-2951 and in Morris at 263-5170.
 

For additional information, click on over to our article on Fireplace Safety.

Just because you have an older home doesn’t mean you can’t make it into a smart home.  Many new home constructions are integrating smart home technologies into design, but even if you have an older home, there are systems you can implement in your home to manage systems that address security, locks, lighting, and heating/cooling.  Making your home a “smart home” can help save energy, time and expense and you might be surprised to find that installing some of these smart features can be affordable and can be done yourself!

Home security  

High definition security cameras are contained within an outdoor smart light and are placed at your home’s entry areas (plugged into your existing power so you don’t need to worry about battery replacement).  They detect activity outside your home and send you a mobile alert. From your phone app (from anywhere), you can adjust the lighting, view the camera feed, talk with a delivery person via 2 way intercom or activate a pre-recorded message or a siren.  

Smart Locks

Many smart locks for your home entry come with keypads as well as integrated ID with your smart phone that recognizes you as you approach and unlocks your door for you.  You can add and remove access codes for guests as needed. Some systems also have random numbers that will generate prior to use of your PIN to assure that any visible wear on the system keypad is evenly spread across numbers.

Smart Lighting

Lighting systems for inside your home typically include a wireless system and specialized light bulbs that allow you to customize your lighting needs – turning off lights when you leave your home, turning on lights when you are arriving home, adjusting lighting remotely when you are on vacation.  Some smart systems detect when you are in a room and when you leave and will adjust accordingly as well.  

Heating and Cooling

A smart thermostat for your home learns your preferences and habits, automatically warming your home when you get up in the morning and cooling your home in the evening while you sleep.  These systems typically will automatically adjust for seasonal changes and will provide your with reports about your energy savings (reports estimate a 10-15% savings on energy costs).  They can be integrated into older homes, but if you have lathe-and-plaster walls, you may want to hire a professional installer.