The winter months come with their challenges. Colds, frozen vehicles, long periods of time spent indoors. While these are just par for the course during the colder period of the year, there are much worse effects on our homes and us. Winter storms might seem like an annoyance because of snow, but they can be much more devastating.
Getting through the winter without being affected by the devastation that can occur from a serious winter storm is unlikely, so you are best prepared when you know how bad the snow and ice can get.
The most important way to beat the winter elements is to know what they can do, so check out how winter storms can harm your home.
Water Damage
An afterthought of snow or ice buildup is how much water is going to accumulate once it starts to melt or thaw. It does not take until Spring or Summer for the elements to start warming up and damaging your home. Snow buildup can be incredibly heavy, and this means a significant amount of thaw that will run into your home.
Wood gets damaged quite easily from water damage as well, which creates mildew or mold. Winter storms can lead to a lot of damage that occurs over a longer period of time, one of which being this water damage. It is best to know how your home may be susceptible to the conditions before a storm hits.
Roof Damage
Snowstorms can cause some serious damage to your roof. Much like the issue of water damage, snow buildup on the roof can lead to some serious complications for your home. Roof damage is a common effect of thawing or melting snow and ice buildup, and the experts at seersgroup.co.uk make it clear how important it is to have this damage dealt with promptly.
The shingling of your roof and even the gutters can be severely harmed from the winter storm damage and a professional service may be required to properly restore it.
Frozen Pipes
Snowstorms and winter storms often bring with them freezing temperatures. While you can bundle up, turn on the fire, and get cozy with a nice cup of cocoa, your house, unfortunately, will not be as lucky. During a significantly cold streak or storm, the pipes of your home can freeze, which leads to lower water pressure, lack of warm water, and at worst, bursting pipes. These pipes can burst from the cold and warm differential in temperature and set you back a lot of money on repairs or materials.
Beyond just the pipes bursting is the water damage that can occur, just like during snow and ice melt. Basements are usually colder areas of the home because of their location in the ground, and the frozen soil surrounding the base of the home is no good for your pipes during a particularly bad storm.
The devastation presented by bursting and frozen pipes is the amount of expertise that is needed to help repair a home plumbing system. This is work you would not likely want to do by yourself, so again it is good to know how you can prevent this. Simply insulating the piping can be a fix that helps resolve any future freezing during a nasty storm.
Wind Damage
Winds during a winter storm can reach speeds up to 50 km/h (35 mp/h), which can cause some damage to your property. Not only is this capable of knocking over trees, but it can also throw ice or snow and damage or crack parts of your home that are particularly fragile.
Window damage is not uncommon during a blizzard, and it can lead to a very uncomfortable time as your home fills with frigid air. The strength of the blizzard winds to knock down trees can cause branches to fall around your home, up to the point where trees can topple onto your car or home. This is not likely to happen as many trees are deeply rooted, but it does happen.
Power Line Damage
Power lines can be disrupted from wind damage as well. Not just trees falling onto the lines, but the wind and ice freezing over your electrical to your home. This is something that you cannot resolve yourself as your local electrical workers will have to fix the power lines, but you can get a generator for the time being if the power outages are extended.
Winter storms, while devastating, are able to be handled. There’s not much you can do to stop mother nature from wreaking her havoc during the cold months, but knowing what damage can occur to your home is important. Being ready before even the worst of natural conditions can save you money and time.