Is Your Workshop Ready For A Hurricane Or Other Severe Weather?
As hurricane Ike barrels towards the Texas coast it makes me think about how prepared is my wood shop for severe weather. This event got me thinking about how many tools I have acquired over the years that are in my workshop. More than I realized. Then I started to think about how much they would cost to replace if they were damaged beyond repair. Several of my expensive tools I purchased second hand from other woodworkers well below retail. However, if the tools are damaged I would be buying them new and paying a lot more than I did to acquire them the first time.
You might be thinking that this hasn’t happened to my work shop. My workshop is in the garage or basement my tools are safe. Or, this will never happen to me.
What is the worst thing that could happen to your workshop?
- Flooding?
- A tornado completely destroying it?
- A strong wind damaging the structure and allowing rain to get inside?
- Earthquake?
- Fire? 400 homes per year are destroyed due to natural gas leaks.
My goal here is not to make you scared and afraid, rather to get you to take some simple steps to prepare you work shop in the hopes that you never actually need to replace all of your tools.
The first thing you need to do is make an itemized list of every power tool and hand tool in your shop. Include the model number of each tool. Grab a couple of sheets of paper and start writing.
The second thing you need to do is to make a video recording of everything in your workshop. In the event that your tools are damaged, the insurance company will not accept the video as documentation, but you can use it to recall what tools you had when you are working with the insurance adjuster.
The third thing to do is sit down and figure out what the replacement cost would be for each tool at today’s prices. Why? This step will help you with the next step when you are talking to your insurance agent about how much in tools you have and how much coverage you will need to replace them all in the event they are damaged.
The fourth thing to do is review your home owner’s / hazard insurance to determine if you have enough coverage for your tools. Are they even covered? Talk to your insurance agent you might find out that they are not covered or covered for only maybe $2,000. Talk to your insurance agent to add coverage for all of your tools.
Finally, make a copy of the documentation and video. Store one copy at your home and the other way from your home: with your parents, brother or sister, grandparents or safety deposit box. If your workshop is damaged, the list is safe with someone else.
It will take some time to record and price this information but it is an exercise that is well worth the time. Hopefully you will never need to actually go through the process of replacing the tools because of a disaster.
