As a kid, snowstorms meant having the day off from school, making snow angels, and challenging the other neighborhood kids to a snowball fight. As an adult, snow isn’t nearly as fun. Not only is shoveling a pain in the back (literally), but the snow accompanied by cold temperatures can wreak havoc on your home and property.
While you can’t control the weather, you don’t have to fall victim to snow’s perils. This guide will highlight how to prevent home disasters caused by snow. We’ll cover the potential disasters and their causes as well as provide actionable tips to stay safe this winter.
How to Prevent Ice Dams
Ice dams are frozen blockages that form on roofs, and they’re one of the most impactful disasters a home can face. Ice dams prevent melted snow from running off the roof, causing it to back up under the shingles and flow into the home.
Causes
Ice dams occur when melted snow water runs down the warm roof surfaces and freezes again as it hits the cold, uninsulated eaves. It will continue to build over time, creating large, heavy dams that prevent water from running off the roof, resulting in leaks and structural damage.
How to avoid ice dams
One might think that the uninsulated eaves are the issue, but it’s actually the opposite. Heat escaping the home and melting the snow is the real cause. To prevent ice dams, insulate your attic, either in the attic floor joists for unfinished attics or between the joists for finished spaces, to keep the roof surface as cold as possible. This allows the roof and its eaves to warm up at the same rate as the weather warms.
You can also install heat cables along the eaves to keep them from freezing or simply use a roof rake to remove the snow before it can melt. This is an extendable tool with a wide blade on the end that grabs snow and allows you to pull it off the roof. Neither of these options is as permanent as proper insulation, but they can help prevent damage.
How to Prevent Roof Structure Damage
Roofs have “snow load” ratings, which describe how much snow that particular roof can realistically handle. The snow load rating is far beyond what the region typically experiences, but a severe winter, back-to-back storms, or other circumstances can lead to excessive snow accumulation and far too much stress on your roof.
Causes
The source of the problem is relatively simple: The weight of the snow or ice collecting on the roof exceeds what the structure can handle. While it’s rare that one snowstorm could drop enough snow to damage a roof, two or three storms could do it. Disastersafe.org says that 4 feet of fresh snow, 2 feet of packed snow, or 1 inch of ice is enough snow to damage the joists, sheathing, and collar ties that make up the roof’s structure.
How to prevent roof damage from snow
If you’re in an area that commonly experiences heavy snowfall, you probably have a peaked roof. If that’s the case, the easiest way to prevent structural damage is to remove the snow with a snow rake. Be sure not to stand too far under the eave as falling snow and ice are dangerous.
For a long-term solution, consider metal roofing. Metal roofing sheds snow easily—so easily in fact that many have snow retention systems installed to prevent sheets of it from crashing off the roof. While sheets of snow are dangerous in their own right, metal roofs usually shed them before structural damage occurs.
How to Prevent Snow-Related Foundation Damage
When it comes to snow, we often think of roof-related issues, but your house foundation is impacted as well. Wet basements, heaving and cracking, and other problems can be commonplace in winter, and their damage is expensive to fix.
Causes
There are typically two causes of snow-related foundation problems. The snow on the ground around the home melts faster than the ground thaws so it has nowhere to go, seeping into the foundation. Or, melted snow running off the roof of a home without gutters (or simply clogged gutters) drips down and splashes against the foundation while soaking the soil around it. Both of these issues can result in a wet basement, and, if the water refreezes, cracking and heaving.
How to prevent foundation damage from snow
Preventing foundation damage from snow takes a combination of preventive maintenance and reactive measures.
For one, make sure that your gutters are cleaned after the leaves fall in autumn. Water should be able to pass through them easily, preventing freezing or blockages so it doesn’t drip off the edge of the roof. Second, remove snow around the home. Keeping snow 5 to 10 feet from the foundation will prevent most of the water from reaching the home as the snow melts.
If your issue is persistent, you can take more action in the spring. Having a French drain installed around the home will help shuttle melted snow away from the foundation. Also, having the soil around the foundation graded away from the home can prevent foundation damage.
How to Prevent Carbon Monoxide and Other Ventilation Issues Due to Snow
Carbon monoxide is produced by fuel-burning appliances such as furnaces, boilers, wood stoves, and other items. It’s poisonous and dangerous, and we mitigate these risks by controlling the flow of these devices’ exhaust fumes and expelling them outside. Snow can prevent the safe function of these devices, potentially resulting in unimaginable disaster.
Causes
While uncommon, snow and ice can block the vents that we use to expel harmful gases. Whether it’s due to a snowdrift against a vent, a snowblower piling snow against the house, or debris collecting and freezing inside the vent, blockages can occur. If the exhaust can’t get past these blockages, it will back up into the home and cause a very dangerous situation.
How to Prevent snow-related vent blockages
The concept is simple: Know where your vents are, what purposes they serve, and ensure they remain clear. In most cases, the heat and moisture from the exhaust will keep these vents clear, but they’re worth checking on after heavy snow and ice accumulation. If they’re blocked, clear them.
Be sure to install carbon monoxide detectors in your home and change their batteries regularly. Most experts suggest changing batteries once a year. However, if your detector has a sealed battery (which most new models do), replace the entire CO detector every 5 to 10 years.
How to Prevent Tree Damage Due to Snow
Trees can take a lot of abuse, but those that are already suffering some structural issues can come crashing down with enough snow. They can strike the home, a vehicle, or a person. They can even land on powerlines and cause fires, even when the temperatures are frigid.
Causes
Heavy snow and ice accumulation can exploit a tree’s weaknesses, whether it’s suffering from damage caused by insects, lightning, past winter storms, wind, or several other issues. When the snow finally tips the scale, branches can break and fall. If wind is a factor, particularly early in the season before the ground can really freeze, the entire tree can come down.
How to prevent tree damage from snow
The time to prevent snow from damaging your trees and property is long before the snow falls. Survey your property and determine which trees could be potential hazards. If they look like they’ve seen better days, consider removing them, or trimming back the damaged branches.
If a heavy snowstorm or blizzard has passed through, it’s even more important to check the condition of your trees to ensure that everything is safe. The brutal conditions experienced during these weather events can flip the script in a hurry, and once-safe trees might now need immediate attention.
Beware that tree work can be very dangerous, and that calling an arborist is the safest option. These experts can also assess the tree and the rest of the trees around your property and help decide which to remove and which to trim. Having your property re-examined every three to five years, or after severe storms, is also highly recommended by most arborists.
How to Prevent Pipes from Freezing
While not necessarily a snow issue and more an issue with cold temperatures, frozen pipes are important to consider. If pipes freeze, the water inside them expands. Sometimes, this happens with such force that the pipe bursts, causing flooding and further damage.
Causes
Pipes freeze from extremely cold temperatures. We’re not talking about 32°F degrees—most experts believe it’s time to be concerned when temperatures reach 20°F degrees or lower. Pipes in unheated basements, crawlspaces, or garages are susceptible, as are pipes exposed to drafts. If they freeze, the damage can be disastrous.
How to prevent frozen pipes
There are a number of things you can do to prevent frozen pipes. The obvious answer is to keep the interior temperature at or above 50°F degrees. Also, insulate the pipes with pipe insulation sleeves as well as with fiberglass insulation between the pipes and exterior wall surfaces.
Also, during extremely cold temperatures, allow your faucets to drip slightly to relieve pressure and keep water moving. We also suggest leaving cabinet doors open to allow warm air from the living space to keep pipes under sinks from freezing.
One other consideration is installing temperature sensors in unheated spaces. When temperatures in those spaces drop, the sensor will activate and allow you to take action before the pipes can freeze.
Keep Your Home Safe from Snow Damage This Winter
Yes, snow can be a destructive force of nature, but you don’t need to live in fear. Most of its dangers are easy to manage with the right plans. A bit of snow removal, some routine maintenance, and occasional inspections are typically all it takes to keep your home safe and prevent home disasters from snow. With our tips, you can relax next time the weatherman calls for a heavy snowstorm. But be careful if a snowball fight breaks out—we can’t help you there.
