Melting Snow Can Cause Damage To Your Home

Melting snow can cause damage to your home. After the storm is over, the work begins.  Although the sun begins to shine afterwards and all looks calm, this is the time to check in on the exterior of your home to prevent any damage from melting snow. You may think it’s just water, however it can cause issues. In the event of a storm that can take days to melt, the damage to homes can start quickly.

Here are a few home protection tips.

Exterior:

• Your roof is the first protection and umbrella to your home.
  • Snow will remain as temperatures dip and rise throughout the day. Snow dams begin to form preventing the water runoff. Water sitting on your roof is not good for an extended period of time. Icicles hanging around the roofs edge could be a sign of snow dams. A roof rake comes in handy for this. You should gently brush away the snow from the edge allowing the water to run off properly.
• Gutters, leaders and downspouts play a huge role in water runoff from the roof.
  • It is important that you check your gutters to make sure they are not clogged with debris or frozen ice. The water should be able to drain properly away from the home. Also, if your gutters are clogged and water is dripping onto your walkway below, this can be dangerous and cause injury.
• You should throw snow away from your home when shoveling.
  • You do not want any snow and water build up around the foundation of your home. Keep the area around your foundation as clear as possible.

Interior:

• Sump pumps relieve basements of any ground water pushing against the foundation.
  • You should always make sure the pump is working property before the water level rises in the sump. Also, the water is pumped out to the exterior of the foundation. This pipe is exposed to cold temperatures and should be checked to make sure it is not frozen. This could cause a backflow and flooding. Whether your basement is finished or not, who wants to deal with a flood?
• Water shut off valves need to be check for each pipe or main to the house.
  • Pipes that run along the exterior of the home can freeze during an event of continuous freezing weather.

While living in your home, there are many other home saving tips to keep in mind . I am available to discuss references should you need any to address issues.

If you are looking to get your home ready for sale, contact me at 732-995-5609 / NJHomesbyRoslyn.com