Preventing Snow Damage to Your Home

It’s common knowledge that a snowstorm will affect your travel plans, your work schedule, and generally inconvenience you in every way. A good portion of your snow storm preparation should be done before the winter sets in, such as clearing gutters, downspouts, and having a professional assess your home for dangerous trees nearby. However, there are some important things that you can do during bad winter weather to help prevent snow damage to your home.

Taking Care of Your Pipes

Along with the fluffy ground covering, winter also brings extremely low temperatures and freezing conditions. While this can affect your driving abilities, it can also damage your pipes. If a frozen pipe isn’t give the correct treatment it could burst, resulting in tremendous water damage. To protect your pipes, put insulation sleeves around exposed areas. Additionally, regulating the temperature (at least 55 degrees Fahrenheit) will help keep water flowing through the pipes. You should also open cabinets or other fixtures which house pipes to allow warm air to circulate next to them.

Dealing with Ice Dams

Ice dams are one of the main causes of damage during the winter season. Ice dams occur when the rising heat from the attic causes snow to melt and run toward the edge of the roof. Once it gets to the overhead (which has no source of heat beneath it to warm it) the water gets trapped and freezes, forming a stronger and stronger dam until the water is backed up and finds a small crack to seep into your attic. While the best solution is put sufficient insulation in your attic, you may not be able to do this in the dead of winter. You should make sure your gutters remain clear and your roof is regularly cleared of snow.

Preventing Snow Damage with Roof Rakes

One of the best methods for preventing snow damage to your home is to buy a roof rake. They are a great tool to help clear the snow off your roof. Letting snow sit on your roof is a great way to see a significant amount of damage in a short amount of time due to ice dams or possible collapses. Using a roof rake will reduce the chances of an ice dam building up which could lead to water damage. It will also remove the weight which builds up with layers of snow and ice on your roof. If you have more than a foot of snow on your roof, you should clear it off, as some structures will be in danger of collapsing.

Usually, homeowners insurance will cover things like a collapsed roof, water damage, or a tree falling on your home, however, insurance should always be the last resort. At H&K Insurance Agency in Watertown, MA we know your house is one of the biggest investments you own. To double check your coverage, contact us and we can go over your policies with you. If you need more coverage, we offer reliable homeowners insurance. Our experienced team will be thrilled to help answer any questions or concerns about your policy this winter.