With Winter Weather on its way, it’s crucial to prepare your home for the elements, or you could end up with costly repair bills when the weather thaws. Snow and ice can be inconvenient to shovel and remove, but it can also impact your home negatively. The additional weight of snow and ice can damage your roof, siding, gutters, and more if not dealt with.
We all know about making sure that you have working flashlights and emergency kits ready as winter storms approach, but there’s a lot more to prepping for winter than that!
Avoid Ice Dams
Ice dams are layers of ice and snow built up to a level that they can stop the flow of water off of your roof, with no place to go, the water can seep into your walls and cause damage. It’s especially important to beware of ice dams when snowfall is consistent, and a lot of snow has accumulated on the roof. To avoid ice dams, we recommend that you safely remove snow from your roof as best you can and ensuring that you’ve cleared all downspouts and gutters so that the snow and ice on your roof can drain. It’s crucial to get your gutters replaced if damaged; otherwise, you’ll have ice dams building up all winter.
Another way that you can reduce your chance of developing ice dams on your roof and gutters is clearing away any branches or leaves from your roof. With winter comes stormy weather, and that can lead to downed trees and branches. This debris can compound any damage being caused by ice and snow by adding additional weight and not allowing the gutters to do their job. You may even want to preemptively trim some branches that could become problematic once winter comes.
Inspect Your Siding
If your roof and gutters build up ice dams, this can cause damage to your home’s siding, since the water has nowhere to go. When the water collects in ice dams, it then runs down the siding of your home damaging windows, siding, and everything else in its path. If your home has wood siding, it can begin to rot and show other signs of water damage over time. Clapboard and trim can also warp with temperature change. Unlike wood, vinyl siding doesn’t absorb much water, but it can be prone to cracking in the cold, leaving gaps in your siding. Stone and fiber cement siding are best for winter weather because of their durability and low maintenance. For homes in the northeast, fiber cement has quickly become popular because of it’s adaptability to varying temperatures.
Cozy Up by the Fire
Now that you’ve helped protect the exterior of your home, you can relax by the fire, knowing that your home is safe from winter weather.
