Here in Minnesota, “winter” and “snow” are synonymous, as are “spring” and “mush”. This time of year as the snow is disappearing, there are things homeowners need to look for on their home to ensure there is no damage.
During winter, you probably bundled up to make sure your fingers, toes, and noses were protected from the cold, wet snow. Believe it or not: during the winter, the snow actually helped provide insulation for your house. But during a fickle Minnesota spring (like this one), that snowy insulation melts refreezes and melts again, potentially causing costly problems.
What to Look for as the Snow Melts
- Siding – Just like an ice dam on the roof, snow piled up against your house loses its insulating properties and gains the potential to do damage to your siding. Snow doesn’t sheet down your siding like rain does. Damaged siding, in particular, can provide a way for thawing and refreezing snow to defeat it’s intended barrier.
- Foundation – As the snow against the house melts and refreezes, it can cause cracks in your foundation; water seeps into the cracks then freezes again, widening the cracks and breaking down your foundation.
- Basement – Those cracks caused by thawing and refreezing snow can create a pathway for water to seep or even run into your basement. Nobody wants that!
- Roof – Is your roof prone to ice dams? This is the time of year to have your roof inspected! Many homes in the Twin Cities experience shingle damage due to ice dam build up. Roofing systems are designed to shed water, not survive underwater. After an extreme winter, like the one we experienced this year, many roofing systems have basically been underwater with all of the snow and ice building up. *Keep in mind: If your roof is over 10 years old, it may be even more susceptible to damage than a newer roofing system!*
What to Do
Ideally, prevention is best, but if you haven’t had an inspection of your house to identify potential problems, damage control should start sooner than later. We offer free inspections for homeowners with these concerns. Something you can do yourself: be sure snow isn’t packed against your siding and foundation. If it’s too big a project for you to do yourself, hire someone to do snow removal. The cost of that is bound to be less than fixing damage to your siding or foundation and flooding in your basement.
There’s no time like the present to address any weakness in your home’s structure. Signature Home Services is here to help. Contact us here to set up an inspection or receive a free quote. We’d be happy to work with you to tighten up your home, address any current issues and protect it from potential damage.
