Seven Tips to Protect Your Home From Snow and Ice Damage
As cold weather sets in, homeowners tend to focus on the interior—specifically, personal comfort and utility bills . This makes perfect sense—no one wants to be cold in their own home , and no one wants a huge utility bill. But the exterior of a home is no less important.
Heavy snowfalls and ice accumulation during prolonged periods of severe frost can seriously damage your home. Snow and ice, combined with melt/freeze cycles on sunny days, can cause serious (and often completely unnoticed) damage to your home in a variety of ways, from water infiltration through the roof to ice-covered tree branches falling on your home. If you live in an area where heavy snowfall and ice can be expected in winter, here are the essential tools to protect your home.
Remove snow from the roof with a rake.
Snow is heavy, and your roof is only designed to handle so much of it. The chances of a roof collapse are likely minimal, but that doesn’t mean allowing tons of snow and ice to sit for weeks is good for your roof or the structure underneath. At the same time, climbing onto your roof to shovel or sweep snow isn’t the safest activity. Instead, keep a snow rake handy. Designed for use from the ground, a snow rake is a simple tool that allows you to safely remove large amounts of snow from your roof, reducing the snow load and minimizing the chance of water intrusion. Just remember that if you’ve installed a cable on your roof to prevent ice dams (see below), you need to be very careful when using a snow rake, as the cable can easily get caught and pulled out.
Use a sewer skewer to melt snow and ice in the vents.
One of the often overlooked problems caused by cold, snowy weather is ice formation in roof vents and furnace vents. Roof vents and furnace vents, which bring in clean air and exhaust exhaust gases from the heating system, can become clogged with ice, which can cause heating problems and pose a serious health hazard if smoke accumulates inside the home. A simple solution is a drain pan . Essentially just a piece of copper, copper is an excellent conductor, so it absorbs heat from the sun (and from your home’s own rising exhaust gases) and radiates that heat back out, melting any snow and ice that forms in the vent. Its shape allows meltwater to flow away from the vent, preventing it from simply dripping down and refreezing. It’s incredibly easy to install (be careful on your roof, though) and could save you from disaster.
Install heated cables on the roof.
Ice dams are layers of ice that form along the roof edge, preventing proper drainage. If not addressed promptly, ice dams can cause serious damage to the roof and even the structure of the house. However, preventing ice dams is relatively easy—simply install heating cables on the roof . Attached to the roof edge in a zigzag pattern, the cables prevent ice dams from forming, allowing melting snow and ice to properly drain into the gutters.
Use protective covers on outdoor faucets.
One common source of ice and freezing damage to homes is outdoor faucets and drain pipes. Because they protrude beyond the insulated interior of the home, they are highly susceptible to freezing, and ice can penetrate the pipe behind them, leading to a burst pipe and a very costly problem. However, the solution is inexpensive —for about $11 , a faucet protector will prevent outdoor faucets from freezing and keep the water in the pipes safe and sound. Install one on every open faucet or drain pipe in your home, and you’ll have one less problem to worry about.
Trim problematic tree branches using a mini chainsaw.
If there are trees near your home, heavy ice and snow can break branches, which can then hit your roof or walls—and these ice-covered branches will be very heavy when they fall on your home. The best way to prevent this is to do some preparation in advance and trim branches, especially old, dead ones. If you don’t want to call a professional to trim a few branches, consider using a mini chainsaw . If there are too many branches for a mini chainsaw, a full-size chainsaw may be necessary—but make sure you’re comfortable using it, especially if you have to climb a ladder to use it .
Prevent ice buildup on your gutters with water heaters.
Similar to ice dams on your roof, your gutters can become clogged with snow and ice, preventing proper drainage and leading to rot and moisture infiltration. Gutter water heaters are a simple solution that prevents ice and snow buildup and ensures all water drains away from your roof and home as intended.
Use a hard surface sealant filler.
The freeze/thaw cycle can be particularly damaging to your hard surfaces, including driveways and patios. Meltwater penetrates small cracks and then freezes, widening and enlarging them. Over time, your pavement or asphalt wears out and needs to be replaced. You can take several steps to prevent (or at least slow) this deterioration. Filling cracks in asphalt or concrete as they form with a sealant prevents water from penetrating. Sealing asphalt or concrete surfaces will protect them during the weeks when ice forms, melts, and refreezes over and over again as temperatures fluctuate.