winter-weather-damage-and-how-to-handle-it

Winter Weather Damage & How to Handle It

This past week, winter weather that rivaled temperatures in the northern part of the United States hit Colorado and the surrounding states. These winter temperatures and conditions were an eye-opener for most homeowners – that it\’s important to protect your home against winter storm damage before it\’s too late. High winds, ice, snow and hail can cause real damage to homes, businesses, roads, cars, and more. Red Hawk Roofing is here to help you prepare for extreme winter weather and how to handle damage should you encounter it.

Gutter Collapse Due to Ice or Snow

If enough ice or snow forms in your gutters, they are at risk of collapsing and falling right off your home due to the weight. Even if a big winter storm doesn\’t hit, this is still a risk in the winter due to the accumulation of a few days of snow or ice if the gutters aren\’t cleaned out. In order to avoid this, you’ll want to keep your gutters clean prior to the threat of a winter storm, this way when it does hit, water can drain out easily. If ice starts to form, such as icicles, knock them off and make sure they\’re not in the way/causing clogging.

Roof Collapse from Heavy Snow or Ice

Just like your gutters being at risk of collapsing, your roof shares the same risk with heavy snow or ice accumulation. You may assume you can just wait for the snow or ice to melt off, but if you have consecutive days of extremely cold temperatures, the snow or ice likely won\’t melt. It can only take two feet of packed snow to cause a roof to collapse. Taking this into account, you’ll want to make sure your roof is winter-ready prior to the season hitting. It is best to have a professional, such as Red Hawk Roofing, come out to assess your roof and let you know what areas need maintenance in order to make it through winter weather. If a storm does hit, you’ll want to make plans to remove the snow and ice as quickly as possible. Again, this is another area where you’ll want a roofing expert/professional to handle it.

Roof Damage Due to Wind

During extreme winter weather, it\’s common that the winds are also extreme. Strong winds pose a risk for your roof as they have the ability to loosen shingles or even take gutters off. This issue can grow to be even worse if an area of your roof is damaged and is exposed to moisture from sleet, snow and ice. The preparation for this is similar to the above – have a roofing contractor take a look at your roof prior to the winter to make sure there isn\’t already any damage or maintenance needed. It is also smart to keep a few tarps on hand in case your roof becomes damaged due to wind so you can protect it until a professional comes to do a roof repair.

Water Damage from Snow & Ice Melting

Eventually, the snow and ice that accumulate from the winter storm will melt. This poses a large risk for your home in the form of water damage, mold, flooding and more. The melting snow and ice can have an impact on your roof, attic, basement, walls, and many more areas of your home. In order to avoid this risk, you’ll want to remove snow and ice from your roof immediately. In addition, you’ll want to keep the areas around your home plowed and/or shoveled.

As you can see, it only takes a few simple measures to protect your home from winter weather damage. These measures may seem minimal, but they will go a long way should a major winter storm hit. If your home does happen to suffer from any of the above, call the experts at Red Hawk Roofing. We\’ll be happy to send our professionals out right away to assess the damage and develop a plan of repair.

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