Winter is prime time for water damage – from leaky roofs to frozen pipes bursting. It’s important to take the steps needed to protect your home, or business, from the common winter water damage issues.
Read on to discover our disaster restoration experts’ techniques to prevent winter water damage:
Regularly Clean Your Gutters
It may be a little gross, but it’s important that you are regularly cleaning your gutters. They can easily become clogged by tree branches, nests, and debris. If there is too much accumulating in your gutters, melted snow will not be able to get off your roof. When water can’t escape, it will leak into your home through the walls or any cracks on the exterior.
Clean your roof before winter begins – don’t feel bad about hiring an expert to get the job done right. You could also install a gutter guard to prevent the debris from getting into your gutter pipes.
Invest in a Heat Tape
You can never predict when your frozen pipes are going to burst. So, it’s better to prevent your pipes from freezing in the first place. The freezing pipes contract, but the water inside them expands. Since water and pipes react to the cold weather differently, it causes pipes to burst.
To prevent this problem, you should purchase heat tape – which is designed to offer insulation to your metal pipes. Your pipes will stay warm and far from frozen if you use this tape. Opt for this method for the pipes that are exposed to cold air, so you can rest easy knowing your pipes are safe.
Clean Snow from Your Roof
Your roof may look beautiful when it is covered with snow, but it can quickly become problematic. Snow can create ice dams on your roof that cause water damage to your roof and house.
The warm heat escaping from your attic causes snow to melt. This melted water collects on the edges of your roof as ice dams. You can prevent this problem by insulating your attic properly and cleaning snow on the roof regularly to reduce these risks.
Bottom Line
Water damage in your house can lead to extremely costly repairs. Make sure that you have taken the necessary precautions to avoid these issues. However, if you get caught with water damage, contact ServiceMaster by Melin 24/7 for help.