3 Ways Snow Can Damage Your Home This Winter

 

 

Every winter, people everywhere look forward to snowy scenes and cozy nights spent by the fire. Even though there are many reasons to look forward to the snow this winter, there are also multiple ways in which that same snow can result in some serious damage to your home. If you don’t put in the effort to take the right precautions, snow can actually cause certain damage to your home that can end up costing you a great deal financially. Such a scenario can put a bit of a damper on your winter festivities this year.

 

It is far better to take the time before winter arrives to get your home ready for anything Mother Nature can come up with. While it is impossible to prepare for every possible eventuality, there are a number of common issues that tend to arise in the winter that you can definitely prepare for.

 

Here are three of the more common ways in which snow can damage your home this winter and how to prepare for them.

 

1. Damage to Wooden Decking

 

Any time moisture is part of the equation, it is possible for wooden structures, such as decking, to sustain damage. This is particularly true with snow since it can sit in large piles and melt very slowly, exposing your decking to moisture for longer.

 

What to do: Before winter arrives, take the time to properly seal your wooden decking and any other wood structures that you might have. It is also a good idea to invest in a quality snow blower before winter so that you can keep your decking clear of snow all winter long. You should also look for a different place to store any heavy furniture that usually lives on your deck to avoid any indentations being made in the wood as heavy snow piles on tables and chairs.

 

2. Overflowing Gutters

 

Your rain gutters serve you well all year long by providing a safe place for water to run off of and away from your home. However, throughout the year, your rain gutters can all too easily accumulate a great deal of debris and trash. Even though you might not have free-flowing water throughout the winter, all ofthat melting snow can cause serious issues to your home if your gutters are clogged.

 

What to do: Before the first snow of the season, have your rain gutters cleaned or take on the project yourself. This will help to ensure that there are no internal water damage surprises to find come springtime.

 

3. Frozen Pipes

 

One of the side effects of heavy snowfall is that your pipes are exposed to colder temperatures than they experience at any other time of the year. This can result in frozen or burst pipes and a great deal of expensive damage to repair.

 

What to do: In order to avoid such a catastrophe, look to keep all faucets going at a slight trickle during times of heavy snowfall. The constant flow of water will help to keep things from freezing over.