Now that the weather is cooling down, Spring melting and summer storms are behind us, you may be feeling a sense of relief. You made it through another year without storm or water damage to your home. Unfortunately, that feeling may be a false sense of security considering water damage can be just as likely in the winter as it is in the warmer months of the year.
Winter weather damage will come from different sources than it does in the spring, summer, and fall. This means there are new areas of your home you should be aware of and look out for, throughout the winter months.
Let’s take a look at the three most common sources of winter water damage so you know how to be on guard through the snowy and freezing months ahead.
Burst Pipe
One of the biggest dangers to your home, as temperatures drop, is freezing pipes. Pipes that freeze are likely to burst as water pressure builds within them. A burst pipe could lead to flooding within your home and is pretty much guaranteed to create some serious water damage throughout your house.
How can you prevent frozen or burst pipes? Be sure your home is properly insulated. This will help keep the interior of your walls warm and prevent water in your pipes from freezing. You can also be sure your home stays warmer than 55 degrees throughout the winter months.
Gutter Blocks
The gutters on your home are there to direct water away from your home. So what happens when they get blocked with leaves or ice? The water sits, pools, and flows towards your home. All of these things you do not want to happen.
Pooling water, over time, is likely to cause damage to your roof and will eventually leak into your home. The water damage that may cause can vary greatly, depending on when you catch it.
Be sure to clear your gutters of leaves in the fall and periodically observe your roof line for any pooling or water spilling over throughout the winter months.
Outside Water
Be sure to properly winterize and prepare your outside water sources and hoses before the winter temperatures arrive. It is important to drain and store things like hoses and other water features. It is recommended that you turn off your outside water and leave the valves open to allow excess water to drain out before the temperatures freeze. All of these precautions will help prevent your outdoor water pipes from freezing.
Your pipes and gutters are some of the most important features of your home, when maintained properly they do the work of keeping water away from your home. When not maintained properly they can present the most danger to your home and be the cause of excessive water damage.
We hope you are able to prepare and prevent water damage to your home this winter. Should you find yourself in need of water damage repair in Springfield, Ohio give our team a call at Reliant Restoration. We will act immediately to help you solve the problem and clean up the mess it leaves behind.