Don’t believe ice is just one of those minor annoyances you must endure. Ice can wreak major havoc on your house, your lawn and your car. Sure, you can (and should!) have ample home and auto insurance to cover the costs – but you still have to assess and repair the damage caused by ice. You can save time, money and headaches by taking some simple steps to ensure you safeguard your property from ice damage.
Prevent Ice Dams on Your Roof
When water freezes, melts, and then refreezes on the edge of your roof it can create an ice dam. Why is this important? Ice dams can cause water to leak into your home and damage ceilings, walls, insulation and other areas, noted the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety(IIBHS). The reason this happens is water runs down a warm roof – which has a temperature of 32 degrees F or higher – and hits the freezing cold roof edge. The water then refreezes and expands, causing damage. A warm attic is the usual culprit.
12 Tips to Ice Out Ice This Winter:
- Prevent Ice Dams On Your Roof by adding insulation to the attic.
- Assess the Potential For Roof Collapse by looking for existing sagging, leaks or damage.
- Keep Gutters Clear to minimize backup and damage.
- Protect Your Trees & Shrubs by applying more mulch around the tree bases, avoiding fertilizing and not over pruning in fall.
- Treat Patio Furniture by applying wax or a furniture cover and move pillows indoors.
- Prep Your Driveway by clearing it before the snow hardens to ice and keep shovels on the surface of the cement, not digging into it as that could cause damage.
- Clean Your Deck so you catch any damage before it occurs by moving planters & storage containers that may cause sagging.
- Prepare Your Pipes by closing crawl space doors and adding extra insulation to areas in your house where pipes are most vulnerable. Do not turn off the heat if you leave your house.
- Disconnect Your Hose and Drain Your Outside Faucets to avoid freezing or damage. In the fall ensure you know where the main waterline shut-off is for your house in case you need to turn off the water supply.
- De-Ice Your Car Windows before you drive and make sure to use a windshield cover or place cardboard under the wipers so they do not freeze to the window.
- Protect Your Car Paint and never use a scraper on the body of the car, wax and seal the car before cold weather hits and warm up your car and unlock door before driving to make sure the locks are not frozen.
- Protect Your Windshield Wipers by raising them half way up when snow is coming or put socks on them so they don't freeze and make sure the rubber is not split, chipped or peeling.