Two Ways to Protect Your Home This Winter

  

  

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Stop Ice Dams Before They Start

With the dearth of snow we’ve had so far this winter, ice dams haven’t been a big issue. However, they caused significant damage to thousands of Massachusetts homes last year and we still have a long way to go until the spring.

When ice builds up at the lower edge of a sloped roof, usually at drains and gutters, it can create dam-like effect that forces the water back up under the roof, into your attic or down inside the walls of your home. The damage causes by ice dams can be extremely expensive to repair. To prevent the problem:

1. Keep your attic well ventilated and your attic floor well insulated to minimize home heat rising through the attic. A colder attic means less melting and refreezing on the roof.
2. The next time you re-roof your home, consider installing a water repellent membrane under the roof.
3. Replace recessed light fixtures near the roof with alternatives. Heat generated from recessed lighting near the roof can melt snow, which then contributes to ice build up.

Avoid Burst Pipes 

When water freezes in a pipe, pressure can build between the ice blockage and the closed faucet at the pipes end, causing the pipe to burst at its weakest points. Most vulnerable to freezing are pipes in attics, crawl spaces, outside walls, and near holes in outside walls where television, cable, and other lines let in cold air. To help keep pies from freezing in cold weather:

1. Apply insulation sleeves or wrapping on exposed pipes.
2. Use caulking to seal cracks and holes in walls and foundations near water pipes.
3. Keep cabinet doors open to warm air circulating around pipes.
4. Shut off exterior faucets from inside your home and leave exterior faucets open outside.
5. Drain water systems, especially when a home will be unattended for an extended period of time.

If you have any questions about home insurance coverage for these types of probles, please click the button below to contact Stanton Insurance Agency.