Protecting Your Home from Potential Ice Damage
When the weather turns cold and icy, you may want to hibernate until spring. Unless you're a bear, that's not really the best option. In fact, you may need to venture outdoors to protect your home from potential damage from snow and ice. Here are some tips to help you protect your home from ice damage this winter.
Practice prevention
Most ice damage can be prevented with a little forward planning. Take the time to make sure that your house is ready for icy weather in order to help prevent ice dams from forming.
- Remove snow as soon as possible to prevent it from melting and refreezing, causing ice dam damage.
- Be sure to insulate your attic properly. If warm air can escape, it will cause snow to melt, which can refreeze and damage your roof.
- Keep your gutters and downspouts clear. Once the snow on your roof begins to melt, it needs to move down and away from your house in order to prevent it from refreezing and causing damage.
Don't forget your pipes
Many people forget about insulating their outdoor water pipes during the winter, but this is a bad idea. Frozen pipes could burst and cause extensive water damage. Pipes in your attic are also vulnerable to freezing, especially if your attic is not properly insulated.
Even interior pipes can freeze if the temperature gets too low. Leave the water running at a trickle when the temperature is expected to be below freezing.
Watch for cracks
Small holes and cracks in the exterior of your home are also vulnerable to cold weather and ice. Water can fill the holes and freeze, causing the cracks to expand and damage your home. Fill these small holes to prevent ice damage to the structure of your house.
Preventing ice damage is easier and far less expensive that making repairs after the fact, so take the time to prepare your home for icy winter weather.
