Protecting your home against SNOW

2/9/2021 (Permalink)

Do not use a ladder to shovel your roof.

Now that the groundhog indicated a LONG WINTER, we thought it would be a fantastic idea to go over some snow and ice removal tips that may help you avoid water or storm damage to your property. Heavy snowfall and even ice can start water damage to your home.

5 Tips for snow and ice removal on your home

1. Shovel snow away from your foundation – Driveways, sidewalks, and entrances are all important areas to shovel but another area that should be considered are those areas nearest to the foundation of the home. A pileup near the structure is not a good idea especially once it starts melting. Flooding can occur and water may seep into your home and inside your basement.
2. Do not shovel your flat roof – Some people could think that shoveling their roof might be a good idea especially when the snow footage is in eye view. Some concerns are wet snow and the weight collapsing a roof but your roof should be able to withhold the weight. Shoveling your roof on your own is putting yourself at risk of injury, plus, you might actually cause damage to the roof instead. We recommend calling a professional to remove the snow
3. Use roof rakes for sloped roofs on detached garage or sheds to remove SOME snow – This is a safer way to remove a few inches of snow because it doesn’t require you to stand on a ladder. This is why we recommend it on small structures such as a garage or shed. When using the roof rake make sure you are not scraping the snow off the shingles as you may damage it. Less snow on the roof can help avoid ice dams.
4. Do not chip off ice dams with a hammer or ice pick – If you have ice dams, leave them alone unless you are certain that the ice dams are resulting in water leakage in the attic or ceilings. If the ice dams are causing water damage, you might be able to freeze the leak by aiming a boxed fan at the leakage inside the attic. For more info on how to get rid of ice-dams CLICK HERE.
5. Inspect the roof and ceiling before, during, and after winter – Your roof may be pretty healthy now but over time, your roof will need maintenance. During this time, it will be difficult for a roof inspection but if you see some areas of concern such as a collection of ice dams in certain areas, take a picture and save it to reference later during a future roof inspection.

Wet insulation can cause Mold!

If you suspect wet insulation in your attic or water damage, give us a call! We can help remediate the issue and restore your home. Call us at (319) 268-1521.