Trending Remodeling Projects to Insure
Contributed by Max Shafer at Building Product Advisors
Remodeling projects are critical for keeping your home up to date with current market trends and keeping them safe and functional. However, shelling out money for a renovation will more than likely cost a pretty penny, with many homeowners having to take out additional financing, such as a home equity line of credit, to complete home improvement projects.
Because of the heavy investment, homeowners will want to get their remodeling projects insured. The problem is that most insurance companies will not uniformly approve all renovation projects. For example, master bedroom makeovers and kitchen upgrades are likely to only get partial insurance coverage—if any coverage at all. On the other hand, projects that are aimed at improving the insulative value and structural integrity of the home are likely to be seen as highly favorable by your insurance provider. With this in mind, keep reading for 5 trending remodeling projects to insure.
Roofing Upgrade
One of the top remodeling projects that your insurance company will be happy to see you complete is a roofing upgrade. Not only can a new roof improve the curb appeal of your home and give the home a higher R-value to keep utility costs under control, but leaking roofs can lead to a host of secondary problems—all of which insurance companies would rather not pay to fix.
Therefore, when looking to insure a roofing project, prioritize those materials that will stand up well in the face of inclement weather, such as slate, metal, or a concrete roof. If these materials are a bit out of your price range, look at innovative composite products. Fabricated from a combination of asphalt, fiberglass, and recycled paper, most composite roofing tiles come with a 50-year warranty and offer the highest impact and fire ratings on the market, all while providing an aspect that is nearly indistinguishable from their classic counterparts.
Siding Replacement
Like the roof, quality siding is essential for guaranteeing the efficacy of your building envelope. In this vein, it is very important in preventing any secondary damage to your home, making it a renovation that your insurance company will find highly worthwhile.
While traditional siding materials, such as brick and wood plank, do a good job of protecting the home when new, they must be regularly painted or sealed to maintain their insulative properties. Therefore, more innovative products, such as synthetic stucco, are becoming increasingly popular in residential properties. Thanks to its multi-layer approach to insulation and water resistance, synthetic stucco creates a truly impermeable air and moisture barrier for the home’s cladding. In addition, it can be finished in a number of attractive colors and designs to improve aesthetics in ways that traditional stucco cannot.
New Windows
When tempestuous winds and driving rains strike, one of the first areas of the home to give way will be the windows. This can lead to water damage, mold, and rot. As a result, it is worthwhile to insure any type of window replacement to help solidify the home at weak wall-to-window transitions. Most modern homes are using aluminum window frames, as they are much more impermeable than wood options. However, if a full-scale window project is out of your budget, or if your frames are still in relatively good condition, a more basic window sash replacement is a great way to improve the weather resistance of the windows.
Exterior Improvements
More and more, homeowners are realizing the importance of a quality exterior. Not only is the exterior critical for giving homeowners a change of scenery during their leisure time, but it can also guarantee the safety of the residents and the structural integrity of the home. For example, collapsed sidewalks and splintered decks are hotspots for personal injury. In addition, poor exterior drainage can lead to foundational problems for your home—problems that can be expensive or even impossible to remedy.
Therefore, quality exterior improvements can save your insurance company a boatload of money in the long run. Some ideas include replacing a worn and weathered deck or patio with innovative composite decking that does a better job standing up to the sun. In addition, replacing concrete sidewalks and driveways with permeable pavers for landscaping can result in less runoff and erosion to guarantee that your foundation is never put at risk in times of severe weather.
Insulation Projects
Finally, your insurance company will undoubtedly be happy to see you tackling projects that improve the insulation of your home. Whether it be below-grade insulation for your floor, cover board for your roof, or durable poly iso insulation for the walls, insulation not only improves the R-value of your home, but it decreases the likelihood that insurance will have to shell out any money for weather-related damage.
5 Top Remodeling Projects to Insure
Due to the high cost of renovation in 2022, homeowners will undoubtedly want to protect their investments with insurance. However, not all projects will be as easy to insure as others. In this regard, a roofing upgrade, siding replacement, new windows, exterior improvements, and insulation additions are 5 of the best remodeling projects for a homeowner to insure.
Max Shafer is a freelance writer that loves sharing his knowledge and expertise on home improvement projects and materials. He lives in Land O’ Lakes, Florida where he enjoys spending time with his wife and working on projects in his spare time. Max’s work as a freelance writer can be found on Building Product Advisors, a new construction industry resource launching in Fall 2022.