You spend your days solving complex problems, optimizing systems, and building solutions that stand the test of time. But when it comes to your own home, are you just as prepared? With hailstorms becoming more frequent and intense, it’s important to have the right coverage. Here are some tips from The Personal to help protect your home against hailstorms. 

How to help keep your home safe from hailstorms

Keeping the exterior of your home in good condition not only helps it look good, but can also save you money and the headaches that go along with a neglected exterior. 

Hailstorms 

Intense hailstorms are becoming more frequent and can cause significant damage to your home, as well as to your vehicle. Hailstorms are usually very short-lived, but they can develop quickly and be very destructive. 

How you can help protect against hailstorms 

Hailstones come in all sizes, from tiny pebbles to the size of grapefruits, but all types of hail, even the smallest pellets, can cause serious damage in just minutes. But there are steps you can take to prepare your home for a hailstorm. 

3 basic things you can do: 

• Cover your vehicle with a thick blanket or park in a garage, if you can. 
• Bring outdoor items such as barbecues and patio furniture indoors or cover them up. 
• Draw your drapes, blinds, or window shades so any broken glass can be trapped and not blown across your home. 

3 things that take a little more effort: 

• Cover your windows with safety film to help prevent glass from shattering. 
• Check your roof for missing shingles and water damage. Check your roof for missing shingles and water damage. 
• Add storm shutters to your windows. 

3 things to have a professional take care of: 

• Add an ice and water shield to your roof covering. 
• Install impact-resistant skylights and windows. 
• Have a building inspector assess the ability of your home to withstand hail and other hazards. 

How insurance can offer peace of mind against hailstorms 

Damage to your home caused by hail is generally covered by your all-risk home insurance, though the same isn’t true for your landscaping – damage to trees, plants and lawns isn't covered. Hail damage to vehicles, however, is usually covered if you have All Perils car insurance. 

Build back better and stronger 

In some hail prone areas in Alberta, The Personal offers up to $2,500 to help replace a roof with class 4 asphalt shingles if the property is covered by Endorsement 53.¹

Prevention tools 

Prevention tools, such as  Radar, can also help you get ready for severe weather. Radar is a weather alert service that can pinpoint severe weather risks for up to 5 specific addresses and send you alerts so you can prepare. 

Bottom line 

Just like the systems you design, your home deserves a solid foundation and a smart defense strategy. By staying informed, keeping up with weather alerts and making your home more resilient, you can have peace of mind knowing your home is protected, even when you’re away. 

This article is being provided by APEGA on behalf of The Personal which has a group sponsorship agreement with regards to home and auto insurance for our members.

The Personal refers to The Personal General Insurance Inc. in Quebec and The Personal Insurance Company in all other provinces and territories of Canada.The information and advice in this article are provided for informational purposes only. The Personal shall not be liable for any damages arising from any reliance upon such information or advice. The Personal recommends using caution and consulting an expert for comprehensive, expert advice.

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