While we have had a relatively mild winter season this year in northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin, there have still been plenty of days filled with snow, ice, and frigid temperatures. If you have lived in this area for more than one year, you also know there is still time in March and even April when temperatures can plummet and precipitation can quickly turn sidewalks into sheets of slick ice.
Believe it or not, ice can cause serious problems for your home and your yard. Melting ice and ice dams can cause major flooding and water damage throughout your property. Here is how to keep your home and yard protected.
Ice Dams
One way your home can sustain expensive water damage is through ice damming. Ice dams are most common throughout your gutter system or soffit area of your home. When ice dams occur, any melting snow cannot properly drain through your gutters. Instead, the ice acts as debris and clogs the gutter so that the water has nowhere to go. Water can pour out of the sides of gutters or even pool on the roof. Needless to say, this causes serious water damage on relatively vulnerable points of your home and yard.
To prevent ice dams, clear your roof as much as possible after a large snowstorm. You can also safely clear out your gutters and eliminate any ice particles or debris that could potentially cause water damage in the future.
Burst Pipes
Water damage can happen inside your home if you aren’t careful with pipes that are uninsulated and face an exterior wall. Water can freeze inside of pipes and expand the structure, making pipes burst or leak once they thaw out.
To prevent problems associated with frozen or burst pipes, be sure you are leaving cabinet doors open to allow heat into the area. You can also aim heaters toward the pipes to assure the water can freely flow through.
When There Is Damage
If you do experience flooding or significant water damage, your home will need restorative treatment or even mold abatement. Call the experienced technicians at Roberts Restorations in any of our Chicagoland and Wisconsin offices to learn more about our services. Not only will we get your home safe and back to its former self, we will also work with your insurance company to assure the process goes as smoothly as possible.
Call us today to get started.