So I am not sure about you all, but one thing I did love about the pandemic was being at home and installing our pool! Oh my, at 5:00pm I was floating in our pool with a refreshing drink. Since getting a pool increased my liabilities, I also increased my umbrella policy limits to make sure I have adequate coverage.
With summer heating up, many folks are spending more time on the water – whether that’s in the pool or on a boat. There are quite a few things you can do to reduce your liability and keep everyone safe while enjoying summer on the water.
Liability & Safety on the Water
Since I have young grandchildren, I wanted to make sure they and their friends were safe. I added a camera that faced the pool area and a locked gate, so they have to be with an adult to access the pool.
Some of my family members would like us to add a waterslide. However, I am not a fan of adding additional risk issues, since so many things can happen with little ones on a slide or diving board. A slide or diving board doesn’t increase home insurance premiums, but it does increase liability and the potential for something to happen.
To reduce your liabilities if you have a pool:
- Post a sign with the pool rules.
- No running, is one of my biggest rules since the area is wet already. I am concerned people horsing around slip or fall and hurt themselves.
- No diving.
- Most home pools aren’t deep enough for this to be safe.
- Don’t swim alone.
- This applies to all ages. For children, an adult must be present.
- What other rules do you think would helpful?
- Fence in the area directly surrounding your pool – even if the yard is fenced in.
- This stops people and animals from making their way in unsupervised.
- Always have adult supervision when children are around – even if it’s not pool season.
Since we are talking about water safety, I also wanted to also talk about safety when boating. I’ve heard so many stories of preventable accidents.
If you own a boat, rent a boat, or ride on someone’s boat:
I think is important to have clear and established rules, just like with a pool. Some rules to consider are:
- Identify a designated driver ahead of time if your group will be enjoying adult beverages.
- Even if this is not your boat, making sure there is a designated driver is something you can speak up about – it is just as important for boats as it is for cars.
- Pay attention to sun and heat exposure, especially if alcohol is involved.
- It can be easy to lose track of how much time you’ve actually been out in the sun. When consuming alcoholic drinks, you may not notice the effects as readily. Heat exposure can cause hospitalization or death, but it is preventable.
- Wear a life jacket.
- For the majority of lethal boating accidents, the cause of death is drowning. My husband’s family lost a loved one to a boating accident, due to unfamiliarity with the boat and too much alcohol. He hit his head in the middle of the night when everyone else was asleep, fell overboard, and drowned.
- Don’t drive and be on your phone.
- Just like with a car, you should be paying attention to what’s going on around you as you drive.
- Understand local rules, speed limits, and the location of wake areas.
- Huge waves made by going too fast in the wrong areas can have catastrophic consequences.
- Check the weather forecast and keep an eye out for changing conditions.
- This will also help you pack the right clothing to keep you comfortable if it is safe enough to be on the water.
- File a float plan.
- Always tell a family member where you plan to go and when you expect to be back.
As you have boating conversations with your family and friends, make sure everyone knows “the rules.”
Insuring Solar Panels
I know that everyone is looking for ways to save money, and adding solar panels seems to be popular lately.
We have had a lot of calls from our clients asking about coverage for solar panels. Thank you, for those that have called us – it’s important that we are made aware so we can make sure you are appropriately covered.
If the solar panels are installed on your roof, they are included in your dwelling coverage. If they are installed in your yard, they are covered under other structures. We want to make sure you are well protected should any type of claim happen, such as hail damage, wind damage, fire damage, etc. Some solar panels are made of materials more fragile than traditional roof shingles and are more susceptible to hail damage.
If you are planning on installing solar panels, talk to your solar installation company (Check out these Top 10 Solar Installation Companies in 2023) about the advantages of a solar bank on the ground versus a roof installation. The install location should not affect your home insurance premium.
This Homeowner’s Guide to Going Solar from the Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy is a good resource to get started. As always, when modifying your home or hiring a contractor, do your due diligence and make sure the contractor has insurance.
We’d love to hear from you – please reach out! We are here to help.
