Water damage will threaten our homes no matter the season. However, winter is one of the most common times for water damage to occur. The harsh changes in temperatures can cause a huge strain on your home, especially if it has not been prepped for the winter. Freezing temperatures or thawing snow can bring damage when the proper measures aren’t taken ahead of time. Preparing for the most common reasons is crucial to avoid any amount of water damage
The main purpose of a gutter is to keep water off the roof and away from a home. In the winter, they are likely to get clogged up by freezing water. This renders the gutters completely useless and will become destructive. When heat escapes from the home through the roof, it will begin to melt snow off of the roof. This snow melt-off trickles and pools into the gutters. Once it freezes, this water will become solid, creating ice dams. On the gutter system, the ice will weigh them down and potentially tear them off. Moreover, the ice dams can loosen the shingles and allow water to trickle into the attic.
To prevent this from happening, snow needs to be cleaned off of the roof and out of the gutters regularly. Additionally, ensure that heat isn’t escaping somewhere out of your roof. Not only will you prevent ice dams, but also lower heating costs. You can also use heated cables in a zig-zag pattern to prevent freezing from happening on the roof.
Pipes are extremely likely to burst during the winter due to their freezing. However, the expansion of the freezing water doesn’t actually cause the burst. Instead, the pipes will actually burst due to the building pressure between the ice blockage and running water.
Keeping pipes warm during freezing periods is essential to avoid water damage. Insulating them is a great, inexpensive way to ensure that the pipes are always snug. Before winter starts, inspect the home to see what needs to be insulated to ensure no problems will befall.
In addition, making sure the property is never frigid is very important. Though it may seem more expensive to keep the heat running, it will prevent the building from getting too cold and causing potential freezes in the pipes. While out of the home, keep the indoor temperature at a minimum of 55 degrees to ensure that nothing gets too cold.
While it’s important to prepare for the change to cold weather, it’s also important to prepare for spring during the winter. With the spring comes melted snow, which, if you are unprepared, can bring lots of water damage. Throughout the winter, make sure that you are continually cleaning off your roof and away from your home. Keeping the snow on your roof can cause ice dams and cave-ins on the roof. Once you have the snow off your roof, you will also need to shovel it away from your home to avoid flooding. You will need to check your basement floors, walls, windows, and doors to ensure that everything is properly sealed to prevent water from getting in.
Though you can take all the preventative measures there are, unforeseen problems can still inadvertently happen. At that point, it is completely out of your control. However, water damage restoration doesn’t have to be. Professionals at Proven Professional Construction Service can ensure that any water damage issues that you have will be taken care of swiftly.
