Winter brings with it the beauty of a freshly powdered city. It can be a somber, quiet season. However, the winter chill and harsh snowstorms can also bring a new hazard to your home – invasive water damage.
Though the snowstorms may be pleasant when you are tucked away in your home, they can lead to problems on your roof that allow water to seep into your home. No one wants to deal with water damage at this time of year.
To help protect your home from water damage, you have to know what the warning signs are. Keep reading to learn our tips on how to spot trouble spots before they become a winter water damage problem for you.
Moisture from the Snow Melting
Snow is bad enough on your home, but the temperature jumps are the worst. When the temps change from below to above freezing then back again, your home is in serious danger.
Proper drainage is important when the melts come so the water doesn’t go into your home, damaging its structure on the way. Freezing and thawing and refreezing water can get into cracks and make them worse. This problem becomes terrible for your foundation.
Beware the Freezing Pipes
Freezing pipes are the bane of a homeowner’s winter woes. What happens is the water in your pipes or plumbing freezes. While frozen, the water and thus pipes expand. When there is no more room to expand, your pipes burst, sending water everywhere leaving damage in its wake.
Take preventative measures by having a functional sump pump in your basement. Make sure to keep up your foundation, insulation around your pipes, and insulation, in general, to keep things safer.
Watch Out for Ice Dams
Ice dams are another major winter hazard. After the snow on your roof melts, it has to find some way to flow down. If there is a path off of your roof, great!
When the water at the end of your roof could freeze forming an ice dam. Once this happens, there is nowhere for that melted water to go, other than into your home!
Prevent damage to your roof, attic, and upper parts of your home by making sure your home’s gutters are clear before the first snow and that you keep the area clear of blockage.
Prevent Water Damage When You Can; Have a Professional Cleaner for When You Can’t
If you take the steps above, your home will be safer from water damage. However, even when you do everything you can, bad things happen. When it does, make sure you know a professional cleaning crew, like Greener Method.
We are here to help our neighbors in the Plymouth, Ann Arbor, Novi, Canton, Farmington Hills, and Livonia area have a nice, clean home for the holidays and beyond. Give us a call today.
