An ice dam is an accumulation of ice at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at the gutter.  Interior heat melts the snow on the roof causing the water to run down and then refreeze at the roofs edge where temperatures are much cooler.  Eventually, the ice builds up and blocks the water from draining off of the roof.  This, in turn, forces the water under the roof covering and into your attic or down the inside walls of your home.

Once an ice dam forms, the potential damage can be serious.  Take the following steps now to avoid trouble later:

• Keep the attic well ventilated.  The colder the attic, the less melting and refreezing on the roof.
• Keep the attic floor well insulated to minimize the amount of heat rising through the attic from within the house.

These two simple steps can decrease the likelihood that ice dams will form or, at least reduce their size.

As an extra precaution against roof leaks in case ice dams do form, install a water repellent membrane under your roof covering.  Check with building and zoning in your city to determine code requirements.

Unfortunately, ice dams may be unavoidable if your home has recessed lighting near the roof.  Heat generated from these lights melts snow, which then contributes to ice dam buildup.  The only sure wayt to avoid this problem is to eliminate recessed light fixtures near the roof.

Onto the discussion of Freezing Pipes.
Frozen water in pipes can cause water pressure buildup between the ice blockage and the closed faucet at the end of a pipe, which leads to pipes bursting at their weakest point.  Pipes in attics, crawl spaces and outside walls are particularly vulnerable to freezing in extremely cold weather, where holes in your homes outside wall for television, cable or telephone lines allow cold air to reach them.

To keep water in pipes from freezing, take the following steps:

• Fit exposed pipes with insulation sleeves or wrapping to slow the heat transfer.  The more insulation the better the protection.
• Seal cracks and holes in outside walls and foundations near water pipes by using caulking.
• Keep cabinet doors open during cold spells to allow warm air to circulate around the pipes – particularly in the kitchen and bathrooms especially if your piping is on an outside wall.
• Keep a slow trickle of water flowing through faucets connected to pipes that run through an unheated or unprotected space. 
• If your home will be unattended due to vacations or going south for the winter, be sure to drain the water system and be sure to have someone check your home regularly.

Shoveling snow is hard enough so don’t add the headache of ruined carpets and water damage to your ceilings and walls.

Thanks to our friends at Travelers, and the Institute for Business and Home Safety, we can provide you with information to help protect that which is important to you.

For more useful information, visit our other sites www.marsinsurance.com or www.marsinsurance.bogspot.com

Mars Insurance for all your Illinois Insurance - Home, Auto, Life, Health, Business and Pet Insurance

Antifreeze

Antifreeze is deadly if your pet eats it.  It will kill a dog in 24 hours and a cat in a mere 12 hours or less.  One teaspoon is enough to kill a 7 pound cat.  Some signs your pet has gotten into antifreeze are depression, vomiting, convulsions, signs of intoxication like being drunk, coma and death.  These can develop anywhere from a half hour to 12 hours after ingestion.  Symptoms tend to last shorter than 12 hours making owners believe that everything will be okay.   Antifreeze affects the central nervous system and kidneys and even after treatment there can be later, deadly effects.  For more information, visit http://www.vetinfo.com/dtoxin.html

String

Some dogs will chew any string but almost any dog will chew a string that has been used for cooking thins such as turkey or chicken.  To keep your pet safe, cut that string up into little pieces and throw it away.  Make sure to keep your garbage can somewhere your pet cannot get into it.  If string is ingested, many times it will get tangled up in the intestines and kill your pet.  Sometimes surgery can remove the blockage but many times it is too late.

Pantyhose

For unknown reasons, some dogs will eat pantyhose.  Like string, these get entangled in your dog’s intestines preventing anything from passing through.

Pills

Just like little kids, you must keep pills out of reach of your dog.  Keep them on high up shelves in safety closed containers.  If your pet ingests pills get them to a vet immediately.

Chicken or Pork Bones

These splinter and can puncture your dog’s intestines.  Veal bones can also splinter, as do turkey or duck bones.  The only bones you can safely give your dog to chew on are large beef shin bones.  Some people say proudly that they have fed their dog all sorts of bones all his life without ill effects; for every such tale, there are many cases of dogs that died from a punctured intestine from eating the wrong sort of bone.

Poisons

Puppies and young dogs alike are curious and will chew up and try eating almost anything.  Keep weed killers, flea sprays, drain cleaners, insect repellents, and traps, and anything else that you wouldn’t eat yourself out of the reach of your dog.  Even an adult dog that becomes bored may chew up something.  Keep all such items safely locked in a cabinet where the dog cannot reach them.

Pop-Out Plastic “Doneness” Indicators from Chicken or Turkey

These are particularly dangers because they smell and taste good.  They are inviting to eat but can be deadly.  Treat these like dangerous bones keeping them where your dog can’t get to them.  Inside a plastic bag in a refrigerator on a high shelf would be a good option.

Many things can hurt or injure your pet that you wouldn’t normally think of.  Animals don’t know the difference so always keep them in mind with such things.

For pet insurance visit http://www.aspcapetinsurance.com/enroll/?priority=BR10MARS87

And, for all you insurance needs, contact Mars Insurance Agency or visit us online at www.marsinsurance.com

Highway safety experts don’t agree on whether hands-free cell phones are enough of a distraction to merit bans.  Many question the value of cell phone laws of any kind because, for one thing, they are very difficult to enforce.

Jim Vondale, Ford’s safety vice president, recently visited safety groups and government officials in Washington, D.C., in an effort to gain support for the Sync hands-free system offered on all Ford models.  The system is for talking, texting and entertainment.

Ford research shows that when drivers were asked to perform several driving tasks while using the system, there was no difference in the ability to do them.  When drivers When drivers using the Sync system were asked to acknowledge a pedestrian, for example, their response time was less than when they used a hand-held phone.

Vondale says the real risks are hand-held phones, younger drivers, and texting people while driving.

According to USA Today, many high-end vehicles now have hands-free systems such as General Motors’ OnStar satellite communications system and BMW’s Bluetooth system.

Other distractions… It is well documented that drowsy drivers cause more severe consequences than drivers using a cell phone.

Studies by Virginia Tech found that reading or turning around to get something in the back seat while driving can be riskier than talking on a cell phone.

What you can do…  Get enough sleep so you won’t be drowsy while driving.  If you get sleepy anyway, pull over and take a nap.

Never text on a hand-held phone while driving.  Pull over and do it.

Whether your phone is hand-held or hands-free, keep on-the-road conversations short to reduce your risk of being a distracted driver.

For all your insurance needs contact Mars Insurance Agency or visit our website at www.marsinsurance.com.

General liability insurance can be purchased separately or as part of a business-owner’s policy (BOP). a BOP bundles property and liability insurance into one policy; however, the liability insurance coverage limits are generally pretty low.  Businesses that need more coverage usually purchase liability insurance as a separate policy.  The amount of coverage a business needs depends on a couple of factors:

• Perceived Risk. Business owners should first consider the amount of risk associated with their business.  For example, a business that manufactures linens, and would therefore need more liability insurance.

• The state in which you operate.  Businesses that operate in states with a history of awarding high damage amounts to plaintiffs typically need to carry liability insurance with higher coverage limits.  An insurance broker can offer guidance in this area.

How General Liability Works

Under a general liability insurance policy, the insurer is obligated to pay the legal costs of a business in a covered liability claim or lawsuit.  Covered liability claims or lawsuit.  Covered liability claims include bodily injury, property damage, personal injury, and advertising injury (damage from slander or false advertising).  The insurance company also covers compensatory and general damages.  Punitive damages aren’t covered under general liability insurance policies because they’re considered to be punishment for intentional acts.

General liability insurance policies always state a maximum amount that the insurer will pay during the policy period.  Usually these policies also list the maximum amount the insurer will pay per occurrence.  FOr example, if a company has a $1 million and the business would be responsible for paying $500,000.

To cover these types of situations, many companies purchase umbrella liability insurance, which pics up where their general liability coverage ends.  Umbrella liability covers payments that exceed their other policy’s limits, and provides additional coverage for liabilities not covered in a standard liability insurance policy.

Most insurance companies require their policyholders to report as soon as possible any accidents that could lead to a liability claim.  The insurer may then require the business owner to document the situation, forward all summonses and legal notices, and cooperate fully in any investigation.

Taking precautions before an accident can help keep your liability and insurance rates down.  All businesses can take certain steps to lower the chance of a liability insurance claim:

• Set a high standard for product control;
• Make sure all company records are complete and up-to-date;
• Be sure employees are properly trained;
• Get safety tips for your type of business from your insurance company.

Information courtesy of Small Business Solutions.

For all your insurance needs contact Mars Insurance or visit our website at www.marsinsurance.com

Having a child in college creates a number of insurance exposures which impact several areas of the Homeowner policy.

A few of the more asked about exposures are addressed below:

• Personal Property Taken to College

In a homeowners policy Coverage C for Personal Property applies to “personal property owned or used by an insured while it is anywhere in the world”. As broad as this coverage is, it does refer to personal property of an “insured”. Most homeowner policies show the definition of “insured” those who are “residents of your household who are your relatives”. Thus, for a kid in college to be considered an “insured”, they must still be a “resident”. While the word “resident” is somewhat ambiguous and has many definitions, the vast majority of courts hold kids in college to be residents of mom and dad’s house.

Even though most kids in college are considered insured’s under mom and dad’s Homeowners Policy, there is a limitation on the amount of Coverage C available for the property they take with them. The Homeowners Policy provides that only 10% of Coverage C, or $1,000, whichever is greater, applies for “personal property usually located at an insured’s residence, other than the residence premises”.

• Liability Coverage for Kids

The insuring agreement for Liability provides coverage for bodily injury and property damage claims brought against an “insured”. As discussed above, in most cases, kids are considered insured’s under mom and dad’s Homeowners Policy, and thus are protected under Coverage E – Liability and Coverage F – Medical Payments, giving them personal liability coverage worldwide.

• Premises Liability for Rented Dorm, Apartment or Rental House

While most college kids receive “insured” status for their personal liability, the Homeowners Policy has limitations on which premises are covered for liability that arises out of the premises. The policy contains exclusions for claims “arising out of a premises owned by an insured, rented to an insured, or rented to others by an insured, that is not an insured location”. While a dorm room, by its nature, fits the definition of an “insured location”, to avoid any uncertainty regarding whether or not a rental house or rental apartment is considered an “insured location”, these secondary residences should be added to the Homeowners policy as insured locations.

• Liability for Damage to a Rented Dorm, Apartment or Rental House

Section I Property coverage cannot be extended to provide coverage for damage to a rented dorm, apartment, or rental house. As to Section II coverage for property damage liability, there is limited coverage. An exclusion also applies for “property damage to property rented to, occupied or used by or in the care of the insured.

This exclusion does not apply to property damage caused by fire, smoke or explosion”.

Note: Please be aware that every claim situation is different and every loss scenario has its own unique set of circumstances. Coverage for a specific loss will be determined based on actual coverage purchased and is subject to all of the terms and conditions of the policy that is in force at the time of loss.

This information was provided by Standard Mutual Insurance Company.

For great Pet Care and Pet Insurance tips, visit our other blog at http://www.barkpurrandinsure.com/

Mars Insurance is happy to provide you with valuable information to help you manage your day to day life.  Best of luck to all the young adults going off to college.  Be sure to notify your insurance agent about your student going off to college, both for their personal property as well as a vehicle they may be taking with them for transportation.

The following are some tips to keep you safe.

DOs and DON’Ts for Ladder Safety

The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that over 25,000 work-related accidents each year are caused by falls from ladders. Many of these falls result in serious injuries or death. In addition to work, most of us will use ladders at home from time to time.

To prevent ladder falls, review the following DOs and DON’Ts:

DO

1. Inspect ladder before using
2. Place on firm and level surface
3. Store in clean dry area
4. Face ladder when climbing up or down
5. Use only grade #1 ladders on construction jobsites
6. Keep three points of contact when on a ladder
7. Maintain the ladder per manufacturer’s guidelines
8. Use the correct ladder for the work performed
9. Secure an extension ladder on top and bottom whenever possible

10. Keep your body within the rails of the ladder while working on it

11. Watch out for overhead power lines when using the ladder

12. Have a second person hold the bottom of the ladder when tying it off

13. Extend an extension ladder 3 feet beyond the top surface the ladder is resting on

14. Destroy the ladder if broken, worn, or damaged beyond repair. Use fall protection if possible

DON’T

1. Use a worn or damaged ladder
2. Paint a wooden ladder. This covers up imperfections
3. Carry tools and material up a ladder
4. Use an extension ladder as a platform. A ladder is designed with a vertical, not horizontal, strength
5. Use a step ladder as an extension ladder
6. Over extend an extension ladder
7. Have more than one person on a ladder at a time
8. Use a ladder in high wind conditions
9. Use a ladder on a scaffold

10. Stand on the top of a step ladder

11. Use a metal or aluminum ladder near electrical power lines

12. Use ladder as scaffold uprights

13. Use the rungs of a ladder for a winch point

14. Place the top of a ladder against a flexible or unstable surface like a window or place the ladder rung against a beam

15. Leave a ladder unattended for extended periods of time

This information provided by Secura Insurance Company.

We at Mars Insurance, want you to be safe at all times.  Keep watching our blogs for more information on protective measures for you, your home and your business.  Remember, we’re a full service insurance agency, we’re happy to answer any questions you may have regarding this post or another post you have read, or if you have general insurance questions.

Know Your Tornado Terms

Familiarize yourself with these terms to help identify a tornado hazard.

Tornado Watch

• Tornadoes are possible.
• Remain alert for approaching storms.
• Watch the sky and stay tuned to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Weather Radio, commercial radio, or television for information

Tornado Warning

• A tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar.
• Take shelter immediately.

What to do BEFORE a Tornado

Be alert to changing weather conditions.

• Listen to NOAA Weather Radio or to commercial radio or television news casts for the latest information.
• Look for approaching storms.
• Look for the following danger signs:

Dark, often greenish sky

Large hail

A large, dark low-lying cloud (particularly if rotating)

Loud roar, similar to a freight train.

If you see approaching storms or any of the danger signs, be prepared to take shelter immediately.

What to do DURING a Tornado

If you are under a tornado WARNING, seek shelter immediately!

If you are in a structure (any sort of building) then go to a pre-designated shelter area such as a safe room, basement, storm cellar, or the lowest building level.  If there is no basement, go to the center of an interior room on the lowest level (closet, interior hallway) away from corners, windows, door, and outside walls.  Put as many walls as possible between you and the outside.  Get under a sturdy table and use your arms to protect your head and neck.  Do not open windows.

If you are in a vehicle, trailer, or mobile home then get out immediately and go the lowest floor of a sturdy, nearby building or a storm shelter.  Mobile homes, even if tied down, offer little protection from tornadoes.

If you are outside with no shelter then lie flat in a nearby ditch or depression and cover your head with your hands.  Be aware of the potential for flooding.  Do not get under an overpass or bridge.  You are safer in a low, flat location.  Never try to outrun a tornado in urban or congested areas in a car or truck.  Instead, leave the vehicle immediately for safe shelter.  Watch out for flying debris.  Flying debris from tornadoes causes most fatalities and injuries.

• Make certain airflow to your outdoor air conditioning unit is not blocked by shrubbery or other obstructions.
• Keep draperies, blinds and shades closed during the hottest part of the day.
• Keep windows and doors tightly closed when operating air conditioning equipment.
• Close closet doors in air-conditioned rooms.
• Close all openings into the attic from air-conditioned areas.
• Turn off unnecessary lights.
• Check your air conditioning or furnace filter regularly and clean or replace it as needed.
• Plan cook-free meals of cold cuts, fresh vegetables, fruits and salads.
• Do your cooking, showering, washing clothes, drying and ironing in the morning or evening when temperatures are cooler.

For all your insurance needs contact Mars Insurance Agency or visit our website at www.marsinsurance.com.

Source: American Electric Power Co.

• If anyone is injured in the accident, call 9-1-1 before you do anything else.  Don’t move injured people unless absolutely necessary.  Render only what first aid you are qualified to give.
• Make sure your vehicle is turned off and proceed to guard it from further damage.  Refrain from smoking.
• Regardless of the severity or situation, always report the accident to the police.
• Record the name, address and phone number of the other driver(s), along with their insurance agent, insurance company and policy number.  Write down the make and license number of all vehicles involved.
• Don’t forget to collect names, addresses and phone numbers of passengers and third-party witnesses.  These people might be very useful in case there is a dispute about the fault of the accident.
• Be careful about what you say.  It is not the appropriate time to discuss fault- even casual remarks can be used in court.
• Examine the damage carefully.  Take photos if possible, particularly if the accident occurred on private property like a parking lot.
• Consider keeping a disposable camera in your car’s glove box, and use it to take photos of the scene.  These photographs could easily become important evidence of what actually occurred.
• Avoid discussing the accident with anyone except law officers, your agent and your employer.

Information courtesy of Kemper insurance.

For more information contact Mars Insurance Agency or visit www.marsinsurance.com.

As the weather begins to warm, I find myself watching closely to see these little friends return.

Hummingbird Migration season has begun!

Here is a list of hummingbird facts you don’t want to miss.

• Hummingbirds have tongues.
• Hummingbirds have tiny hairs on the tips of their tongues to help them lap up nectar… similar to a cat.
• A hummingbird’s bill is longer in proportion to its body, as compare to other birds.
• Hummingbirds have no sense of smell.
• Hummingbirds can hear better than humans.
• Hummingbirds see in ultraviolet light and they can see further than a human.
• Hummingbirds have a great memory – they remember where they got nectar from during last years migration.
• The hummingbird brain is 4.2% of its body weight – this is the largest, in proportion, of the wild bird group.
• Hummingbirds are the only birds that can fly like a helicopter… up, down, sideways, front, and back!
• Hummingbirds are the second largest family of birds with a total of 343 species.
• Hummingbirds have weak feet – they mainly use them just for perching.
• When food is scare and they are fatigued, hummingbirds go into a hibernation-like state (also known as torpor) to conserve energy.

Want to see where the hummingbirds are now?  Click on the link below to see where they are currently.  Click back regularly to see sitings in your area and start watching out for our feather friends.
http://www.birdfeeders.com/advice/bird-watching/hummingbird-migration?gclid=CJjmic__9qcCFcq8KgodH1SkbA

Information provided by http://www.birdfeeders.com/ where you can find feeders for any kind of bird you enjoy watching.

After you shop for a house or feeder for your birds, why not fly over to www.marsinsurance.com and see all the products we have available for you.  We cover your home, auto, family, pets, business etc.