Cold Weather Ahead

9/19/2024 (Permalink)

With the seasons changing and cold weather approaching it may be a good idea to check a few things to make sure that there aren’t any issues during the winter months. Winter brings many challenges to keep your home safe when such things as freezing pipes, ice dams, roof leaks, and flooding happen.

Frozen pipes occur when a pipe is exposed to cold enough air while it still has water in it. This will crack the pipe when the water expands as it freezes causing it to leak into your home and possibly cause mold growth. The best way to prevent this is to have your pipes winterized and all water removed from them if exposed outside as well as make sure your home is well insulated and kept at a warm temperature.

An ice dam happens when melting water from snow melting on your roof gets under the shingles and re-freezes. As the snow melts in the sun and freezes overnight repeatedly, the ice will make the gap in shingles bigger and bigger until there is a sheet of ice underneath melting into your home. A good way to prevent this is to make sure your home is well insulated to keep the heat from your home from melting snow on your roof. You can also clear the snow from your roof and keep your gutters and downspouts clear of debris and leaves this fall.

Flooding can happen in your basement for many reasons during the winter. Several causes include cracked or faulty foundation, a faulty or frozen sump pump or even melting snow overwhelming the drain systems. These are things that should be checked and repaired before the weather gets too cold to ensure they are working properly.

Unfortunately things can happen even with preparation, Luckily if they do SERVPRO® can help.
Call the SERVPRO of Oak Park/Ferndale (248)246-0790 if you have any issues these coming months.