Snow Damage in Elko New Market MN | Can Snowstorms Cause Home Damage?
It’s wintertime, and that means cold weather, snowstorms, and more. But what if I told you that snowstorms can cause damage to your home? It may sound far-fetched, but it’s true! Snowstorms are common in the winter and can cause many homeowners problems. So how do you know if your house is at risk, or if you should contact a professional contractor? Read on to learn about some of the most common ways in which a snowstorm might cause damage: Snow Damage in Elko New Market MN
Strong Winds Can Loosen a Roof’s Shingles
In addition to impacting the power grid, snowstorms can also cause damage to houses themselves. The most common is when strong winds blow shingles off of roofs.
Wind-related damage caused by a storm can be especially severe if it hits at night or during heavy rain. This is because your home’s exterior will be much cooler than usual, allowing water (which freezes at 32 degrees Fahrenheit) to build up on the roof. When temperatures rise again during the day, ice expands and causes ice dams that may leak into your walls—and potentially ruin them!
Water Can Leak Into The Attic
The biggest concern with winter storms is how water can leak into the attic, causing mold and structural damage. This can also cause rot, damage to the exterior of your home, and cosmetic issues that are hard to detect. Water in this area often goes unnoticed until it’s too late and there’s significant moisture buildup. The longer this stays in place, the harder it is to fix because you need to dry out all of that insulation before you can replace it with new materials. The best way to keep yourself protected from these problems is by having your gutters checked before winter starts up again so there aren’t any cracks or structural issues with them initially.
The Added Weight of Wet Snow Can Cause a Collapse.
When it comes to the weight of snow, you may think that a few inches aren’t going to be an issue. But the added weight of wet snow and ice can cause a collapse.
Heavy snowfall can add up to 70 pounds per square foot to your roof! And if you live in an area where there’s already heavy snowfall, this amount will only get heavier as more accumulates from subsequent storms.
If too much snow piles up on your roof, there may be nothing left for it but to cave in under its weight. This is why many homeowners have reported seeing whole roofs cave in after being weighed down by heavy loads of accumulated precipitation during storm events over time.
Ice Dams Forming
Ice dams occur when the snow melts and refreezes on your roof. As the water freezes, it expands and pushes against the roofing material. This can cause leaks in the roof, which can lead to costly repairs or even structural damage if left untreated for too long. Ice dams also create havoc for gutters and other exterior structures, including siding and windowsills. They can also cause chimneys to crack or collapse due to continued pressure put on them by ice buildup around their bases.
To prevent these issues from occurring, you must clear snow off of your home’s exterior before it becomes covered with snow again! You can do this using a ladder or by getting someone else to help clearing things up so that you don’t have any problems later down the road when there are bigger problems.
Snow Can Block Your Chimney
The second reason is that snow can block your chimney, causing damage. If your chimney hasn’t been cleaned in a while and there’s a lot of snow on top of it, that could create enough pressure to cause the chimney to crack or even collapse. That’s not good! Chimney fires are a serious fire hazard because they can burn your house down and cause carbon monoxide poisoning (which can make people very sick). Even if you don’t experience any immediate effects from having smoke seep into the rest of your home or being exposed to high levels of CO2 gases in an enclosed space, prolonged exposure can lead to serious health problems later down the road.
Snow buildup alone isn’t usually enough to cause major damage but if there’s too much moisture around then water will start dripping out onto whatever objects are below—and those could very well include electrical wiring!
Snow Damage in Elko New Market MN
While it’s true that snowstorms can do a lot of damage to your home, they don’t have to be a cause of panic. You can take many steps towards preventing any potential problems before they occur. If you do have an existing issue with ice dams or other problems, contact an expert contractor to get it taken care of right away! The last thing anyone wants is for their home to get damaged during winter. If you’ve experienced winter storm damage, contact us at Capstone Bros. Contracting in Elko New Market, Minnesota as soon as possible!