How to Protect Your Denver Area Home from Melting Snow

After long months of cold temperatures and continual snowfall, warmer weather is often seen as a welcome relief. However, with above freezing temperatures also comes melting snow. Having snow melt and cleared from your property sounds nice conceptually, but the reality might not be as simple.

The resulting snow melt, water, and slush may be unable to properly drain away from the building, instead pooling up near your home’s foundation. This can easily lead to water damage because of its proximity to your home. For example, in such a situation, the melting snow can seep into your home. The water then gets absorbed by porous building materials which will allow it to spread and cause damage.

With the necessary measures, you can protect your home from suffering water damage due to melting snow. Continue reading for some tips on how to do just that.

Clear Gutters and Check Downspouts

Your home’s gutters help direct water far enough away from the building to prevent it from causing problems. But when your gutters are clogged with debris or have ice or snow blockages, then water cannot travel through and will spill over the side instead.

Knowing this, take the time to clear out your gutters. However, prioritize your safety. Getting up on a ladder during the winter to get a look at your gutters is not a good idea no matter your age, condition, or ladder stability. Consider investing in tools like a gutter wand that allow you to clean while staying on the ground. You can also turn to a licensed professional for help.

Check that there is no debris, compacted snow, or ice inside of the downspouts, too. Otherwise, snow melt will still be unable to run through the gutter all the way.

Brush Snow from Your Roof

Brushing snow off from your roof can not only help protect your home from melting snow, but it can lessen the weight that your roof has to hold. When too much snow has accumulated on your roof, the weight can be too much for it to hold. This causes the roof to cave in and brings snow into your home. That said, consider buying a roof rake — if you do not already have one — to use for clearing snow from your rooftop.

When you remove snow from the roof, be mindful of where the snow ends up. If you brush the snow off only for it to end up and remain in the gutter or right beside the foundation, then it can still be a problem once it melts.

Move Snow Away from Your Home

In addition to clearing snow from the roof, move additional snow away from your home. Shovel snow near your foundation, downspouts, and basement window wells and move it away from your home so that it does not affect these items and areas. For example, snow melt near basement window wells can easily become problematic because the water can leak in and cause water damage to your home.

Check for Leaks and Other Exterior Damage

Take a trip around your home and inspect its exterior. Keep an eye out for cracks and other openings in the foundation, damaged roofing and gutters, and other cases of harm that could result in water damage issues. Snow melt can easily make its way into your home through these openings and cause water damage. Likewise, damaged gutters can prevent water from being successfully directed away from the building. Even misaligned gutters can end up being ineffective.

So, if you find exterior property damage, get repairs made as soon as possible to prevent them from causing a problem.

Professional Water Damage Restoration Services

If your home sustains water damage, then do not hesitate to address the situation immediately. Regardless of whether the harm occurred as a result of snow melt that leaked into your home or something else, all cases of water damage need to be taken care of immediately. Water damage will only worsen with time, also encouraging mold growth, so waiting is ill-advised.

At ServiceMaster Fire and Water Restoration, we can help through the professional water damage restoration services we offer to residential and commercial properties located in the Denver, CO, metro area and the nearby areas of Elbert County.

With our water mitigation services, our professional technicians will arrive promptly at your home to contain the damage. We stop the water source and contain the damage to prevent it from worsening. Then, we will assess the damage, using the information to create a proper water mitigation plan. From there, our water technicians will use specialized equipment to extract standing water and excess moisture and thoroughly dry out the property. We conclude with content cleaning and restoration and perform deodorization as needed.

With help from our professional water damage restoration services, your home will be clean and safe as the winter season ends.