Snow Storms and How They Can Affect Your Home

2/8/2022 (Permalink)

Snow not only can affect things when it accumulates, such as slick roads, frozen pipes, and low visibility. It can also cause trouble when it starts to melt as well. When snow melts it can not only cause a slushy, muddy mess, but it can damage your home. Here are a few ways to help prevent damage to your home as snow starts to melt: 

1. Clean snow and debris from ground drains and gutters. 

1. Ice and compact snow can create dams that keep water from draining. 

1. Consider where snow will go when it melts. 

1. When shoveling snow on your property, think about which direction it will drain when it melts.  

1. Remove large accumulations of snow from areas where it could melt and enter your home.  

1. Shovel snow away from the outer edges of your home. Something to consider is, if snow builds up around your house and begins to melt the water may seep into any existing cracks in your foundation, leading to basement flooding. If the temperature drops below freezing once water has entered those cracks, the water will expand as it turns to ice, and that expansion could lead to even further cracking. 

1. Know what’s covered by your insurance policy. 

1. Not all household water damage is treated alike – freezing pipes may be evaluated differently than seeping snow. Read your insurance policy carefully and call your local, independent insurance agent to determine what’s covered. SERVPRO is here to help! 

If you do incur a loss inside your home because of melting snow, it’s important to take quick action. At the first sign of dampness inside your home, call immediately for professional help before long-term damage sets in. SERVPRO of Southwest Wichita is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year (316) 260-9011.