Four Ways Winter Weather Can Cause Water Damage In Your Home

The cold winter months present new water damage threats to your home. Along with the typical ways that your home can sustain water damage like leaky pipes, overflowing sinks, and broken appliances, there are a host of new ways winter weather can threaten your home. 

Water Damage Cleanup Rutland

Our water damage restoration professionals at GW Savage often encounter winter water damage from weak roofs, ice dams, flooded basements, and frozen pipes. Here are how these types of damage can occur and what you can do to prevent them from occurring in the first place.

Weak Roof

Your roof is put under a lot of strain during the winter months. This occurs in several different ways. First, the constant freezing and unfreezing of water can wreak havoc on your shingles potentially causing them to crack and break. Second, the extreme weight from accumulated snow and ice can put significant strain on your roof as well. It doesn’t take much snow before it starts to become extremely heavy. It’s important that you clear off accumulated snow and ice from your roof before it builds up too much. Third, another problem to look out for is ice dams. We discuss what ice dams are and the threats they pose more in detail below.

Ice Dams

An ice dam is a blockage of ice that forms on the edge of a roof. They literally create a dam that keeps ice and snowmelt from flowing properly through your gutters and out your downspouts. This is problematic for several reasons. For one, it will lead to increased strain on certain parts of your roof. The most troubling issue, however, is that rain of melting snow won’t run through your downspouts and will instead pool around the base of your home. This can easily lead to flooding in your basement or crawlspace. 

Flooded Basement

A basement is the #1 flood-prone area in a home. Get your basement inspected now before heavy snowfall. An inspection will allow you to identify any pre-existing issues with your basement that may lead to water damage once winter hits. One thing to look out for is weak spots or cracks in your home’s foundation. These weak spots or cracks will allow water to seep through your foundation and down into your basement. 

Frozen Pipes

Frozen pipes are a constant worry during the cold winter months. Once temperatures drop below freezing, the water in your pipes has the potential to freeze and expand, blocking off your pipes and potentially causing them to crack. Pay close attention to the temperature so you know when you need to take measures to prevent frozen pipes like setting your faucets to a drip, insulating your pipes, and opening your cabinets to expose them to the warm air.

Don’t let winter water damage get you down! We at GW Savage hope you find these tips helpful for keeping these winter water damage threats at bay and keeping your home safe during the holiday season.