Frigid, winter weather can take a heavy toll on your home if you don’t know where to look. When it comes to keeping your home in tip-top shape during and after the winter months, it is important to look beyond the items that come immediately to mind, such as your homes water pipes, roof, and heating system. As important as these are, winter temperatures can bring far more threats to your homes interior and exterior. If you notice any signs of damage to these areas of your home, don’t hesitate to call a professional to investigate and solve the problems before they cause further, more serious damage to your home.
Falling gutters:
Gutters that have begun to show signs of wear and tear during the spring and summer months are especially vulnerable to harsh winter weather. Frigid temperatures and the additional weight of snow and ice can prove to be too much for gutter systems that are already in need of repair.
Foundation Cracks:
When snow and ice begin the melting process, the excess water can often leak down the side of the home in quantities sufficient to compromise the foundation or by seeping into existing cracks.
Damaged Door Frames:
Standing water resulting from the continual buildup and melting of ice and snow can leave the wood soft and damp which can quickly become a source of wood-rot or termite infestation once spring weather returns.
Mold
Mold is NOT just a springtime or summer problem. With cold weather outside and warmer air inside, poorly insulated areas of the home can allow a mix of cold temperatures, warm temperatures and humidity that can cause condensation to accumulate which can cause mold to grow.
Damage Tile Grout
The tile in your home can often be a casualty of cold weather which can lead to peeling and cracking as the drying process is affected by cold, winter temperatures. When this happens, the grout can pull away from the surfaces it is supposed to make watertight and over time, this can lead to mold and mildew issues and potential damage of drywall and plaster.
Flooded Yards
It is critical to ensure that outdoor pipes are properly prepared for the winter months. Due to the exposure to colder temperatures, these pipes should be insulated to keep them from bursting and flooding your homes yard.
Broken Tree Branches
A bit of packed, frozen snow resting on the tree branches that are hanging near your home can easily add a lot of additional weight over a large area. If these should crack and fall onto your roof, a skylight or even stairs, the potential for costly damage is high. While the dead of winter is not the best time to deal with a problem such as this, it is critical to resolve these issues as soon as possible.
Winter weather can cause damage to far more than just water pipes or HVAC systems. To keep small problems from becoming larger problems, it’s important that If you ever have questions about any damage that you see in and around you home, you pick up the phone and give CrewPros a call. Our home services professionals can stop current issues from getting worse and help you avoid further damage when the warmer temperatures begin to return.
