7 Ways to Honor Veterans This Veterans Day

Written By Charlotte Insurance on November 7, 2018. It has 0 comments.

Veterans Day in Charlotte

The United States is the land of the free because of the brave — brave military members who fight for us and protect us, at home and abroad. This Veterans Day, take a moment to honor their service.

Visit a Veteran’s Hospital

You can go to the Charlotte Health Care Center or travel to Salisbury to visit veterans at the W. G. (Bill) Hefner VA Medical Center. If that’s not convenient, look for a local nursing home or assisted living facility. Talk to older veterans. Sit with them for awhile and listen to their stories. You’ll brighten their day and let them know their service hasn’t been forgotten.

Invite a Veteran to Speak at Your Child’s School

Talk to your child’s teacher about their Veterans Day curriculum and ask if you can invite a veteran to speak to the class. They can talk about why they decided to serve in the military and answer questions from the children. Elderly veterans and those who have served recently something valuable to share with all of us. We could all learn something from a veteran.

Support Veteran-Owned Businesses

Whenever possible, spend your money at businesses that support veterans and those businesses owned and operated by veterans. Ending their career in military service isn’t always an easy transition and many veterans still have a family to support. This is a tangible way to help both veterans and the community. For a list of veteran-owned businesses in Charlotte, click here.

Donate Frequent Flyer Miles

The Fisher House Network helps family members stay close to injured military members as they recover. When you donate your frequent flyer miles as part of their Hero Miles Program, you’re helping family members get to the bedside of those injured military members.

Sponsor a Companion Dog

Many veterans today suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and need a service dog to help them. Puppies Behind Bars is a program in prisons that allows prisoners to train dogs for veterans. When you sponsor a dog, you’ll get updates on its training. If you can’t make a big donation to sponsor a puppy, remember that every little bit helps.

Send a Care Package

Operation Gratitude oversees multiple projects to show veterans, military members, and their families our thanks for their service. You can take part in a letter-writing campaign to send a handwritten note to a veteran to thank them for their service. Or you can help send care packages of goodies and necessities.

Thank a Veteran

The simplest, easiest, and least difficult thing we can all do on Veterans Day and every day is thank veterans for their service. They choose to serve and defend our country, knowing it will take them away from their families and that they may not come back from duty.

At Charlotte Insurance, we are thankful and grateful for what the U.S. military does on our behalf each and every day. To all the veterans who have served, thank you. We would not be the land of the free without your brave service.

Fireplace and Wood Stove Maintenance

Written By Charlotte Insurance on November 7, 2018. It has 0 comments.

a fireplace needing to follow our fireplace and wood stove maintenance tips

Every winter, when the use of fireplaces and wood stoves increase, the chance of a house fire increases as well. The best way to prevent a tragedy in your home this winter is to properly maintain your fireplace or wood stove.

Here’s what you need to know about fireplace and wood stove maintenance.

Maintenance You Can Do Yourself

There are some things you can do yourself to keep your fireplace or wood stove running properly and efficiently.

  • Check your wood stove door seals to make sure they’re not crumbling or falling apart.
  • Remove ashes from the firebox once a fire is out and the ashes are completely cold. If too much ash builds up, the airflow may be blocked.
  • Test your fireplace by lighting a few small pieces of seasoned wood from the top down. The smoke should exit vertically, but if it doesn’t, look for common problems: soot or creosote build-up, debris, or a closed damper. You may also need to make sure the wood you’re using isn’t wet.
  • Check your smoke and/or carbon monoxide detector every month as part of your maintenance plan.
  • Keep combustible and flammable things away from the fireplace while its burning. This includes carpet, curtains, and furniture. Children and pets shouldn’t be too close or get their toys too close to a burning fireplace.
  • Make sure you have a chimney cap installed at the top of your chimney to prevent animals and other debris from falling in.
  • Burn only seasoned wood. Don’t burn driftwood, trash, treated wood, or artificial logs.

Schedule Professional Cleaning and Maintenance

If you use your fireplace or wood stove on a regular basis through the winter months, you should also have it professionally maintained and cleaned at least once a year. Creosote and soot can build up over time, especially if fires are burning inefficiently. This material can easily ignite and cause a chimney fire. You mighty not know the chimney fire is happening until it’s too late. It’s dangerous for the structure of your chimney and your home.

Here’s what a professional will look for and do:

  • Look for structural damage like cracks or air leaks. An air leak can change the flame in your fireplace and even cause a fire to ignite outside your fireplace.
  • Thoroughly clean your chimney, getting rid of any soot or creosote build-up.
  • Look for and remove obstructions and debris.
  • Make sure the damper and flue work properly and that the chimney cap is properly installed.

Having your chimney and fireplace professionally cleaned before winter arrives will catch any problems before you light the first fire of the winter season. Your fires will also burn more efficiently, and the air quality of your home will be better while the fire burns. Best of all, you’ll decrease the chances of a fire in your home.

If tragedy strikes, despite your best efforts, you need a home insurance policy that will help you rebuild from the ground up. Make sure you have enough coverage and the right kind in case the worst happens.

Contact Charlotte Insurance today. We’re happy to look over your existing policy and help you understand it better. We can also get quotes for a new home insurance policy that better protects you and your family.

Fall Home Maintenance Tips to Prevent Claims

Written By Charlotte Insurance on November 5, 2018. It has 0 comments.

a home that's in need of our home maintenance tips

To keep your home running smoothly, you already know you need to maintain it, especially as the seasons change. But there’s another reason you need to do it, too — to prevent an emergency in your home that requires calling your insurance company.

Make sure you follow these fall home maintenance tips and avoid unnecessary home insurance claims this fall and winter.

Do Lawn Maintenance

A few quick things around your yard will keep everyone safer and prevent damage.

  • Rake up leaves to prevent unsafe walking conditions
  • Put away outdoor furniture to avoid damage from ice and snow
  • Disconnect hoses and storm them away for the winter
  • If you have skirting around your home, check for loose spots or holes. Make repairs to keep animals out and prevent damage from cold weather.

Clean Your Gutters

You know you need to keep your gutters clean. In the fall, as the leaves start clogging up the drains, it’s even more important. A clogged gutter can’t move water away from your home, allowing it to pool near the foundation which can cause damage over time. Any extra water could freeze and create major slipping hazards, too.

Check Your Roof

Before the cold weather arrives, inspect your roof. You’re looking for broken, cracked, loose, or missing shingles or tiles. Fix these immediately. The harsh wind, ice, snow, or rain from winter will further damage your roof and could cause leaks in your home. The last thing you want to do in dead of winter is try to repair your roof and deal with water damage.

Take Care of the Chimney and Fireplace

If you’ve got a fireplace, chances are good that you’ll use it over the winter. There are a few things you need to do to keep your home safe this winter.

  • Have your fireplace and chimney cleaned to remove built-up creosote. It’s a byproduct of using your fireplace that can easily ignite.
  • Keep the flue closed when you’re not using your fireplace.
  • Install a fireplace screen in front of your fireplace, especially after you light a fire. This prevents sparks from igniting in your home.
  • Move flammable items away from the fireplace.
  • Check your smoke detectors and put in fresh batteries.

Check Your Heating Systems

Have your heating system serviced by an HVAC professional so that it’s in good working condition for the cold weather ahead. They’ll also be able to take care of small problems before they become big ones. Move all flammable objects away from your furnace and/or water heater to prevent a fire in winter.

Insulate Your Indoor Pipes

In winter, it’s not uncommon for pipes to freeze and burst causing flooding and potential mold in your homes. This fall, insulate your pipes to keep your home safer and dryer. You can buy insulation that fits around your pipes from most home improvement stores. If you can’t afford to do your entire home, focus on the pipes closest to the cold weather, such as those on outdoor-facing walls or any pipe that’s ever frozen in the past.

It’s not enough to take care of your home to prevent fall or winter insurance claims. You also need the right home insurance. Contact Charlotte Insurance today. We can review your current policy and give you estimates for new home insurance that will protect you all year long.