Protecting Your House from Snow and Ice Damage

Unforgiving winter weather puts your home to the test. Relentless cold, snow, and ice strain and damage the structural components of your home, and they tax the appliances and systems that are essential to maintaining a functional living space. Some attentive winter home maintenance, however, can go a long way toward protecting your home from extreme cold and winter storms. Here are the basics to make sure your home stays a warm refuge through the worst of winter.

How Snow and Ice Can Damage Your Home

There are a few mechanisms by which snow and ice can result in home damage:

• Freezing and thawing cycles

Repeated freezing and thawing is one of the most common and insidious causes of home damage. Water in small gaps and cracks freezes, and the expanding ice puts pressure on the surrounding material. That ice then thaws, leaving a space that is slightly larger than it was previously. The cycle repeats as more water fills the space and freezes, resulting in a gap that gets steadily larger over time.

• Pressure from the weight of snow and ice

Light, fluffy snow weighs around 4 or 5 pounds per cubic foot. Wet, slushy snow can be three times that much. For the average-sized home, the weight of a foot of heavy snow is equivalent to that of three pickup trucks.

Most roofs are capable of withstanding the pressure of more than 20 pounds per square foot, but it is possible for heavy snow accumulations over a season to exceed what the roof can handle. Even setting aside a total roof collapse, heavy snow mass can increase wear and tear, shorten a roof’s lifespan, damage shingles, and destroy gutters, awnings, overhangs, and other architectural features.

• Ice dams and blockages

An ice dam forms when water pooling in the gutters freezes, creating a blockage. Ice dams may begin because of some initial blockage, such as packed snow or leaves. 

The weight and expanding action of an ice dam can strain the gutter and edge of the roof, but a dam can also contribute to water damage. When water can’t flow through the gutter and out the downspout, it overflows from the side of the gutter, pouring onto the edge of the roof and down the side of the home. As that moisture works its way inside, it leads to leaks, staining, mold, and rot.

• Frozen plumbing

Ice isn’t a threat only outside; it poses a risk to your interior plumbing system as well. If temperatures plunge below freezing, insufficiently insulated pipes are at risk of serious damage. The water within the pipe can freeze, causing a blockage or burst pipe.

Roof and Gutter Problems Caused by Ice Buildup

Ice buildup is the primary culprit for many of the most common roof and gutter problems. Large masses of ice and the pressure exerted from water expanding as it freezes can lead to the following issues:

• Ice dams in gutters and downspouts
• Loose, lifted, or cracked shingles
• Bent, sagging, or detached gutters
• Chipping or peeling paint
• Roof leaks
• Wood rot along the trim or siding
• Structural strain and wear and tear

Preventing Ice Dams Before They Form

Ice dams are the leading cause of home damage from snow and ice, but there are fortunately some ice dam prevention measures that are reasonably simple to perform.

1. Clean your gutters ahead of the winter season.

Ice dams often start because water is not draining from the gutters, usually because of leaves, twigs, and other debris. By adding gutter cleaning to your winter home maintenance checklist, you minimize the risk of water pooling and leading to an ice dam when temperatures dip below freezing. 

2. Make sure your attic is well insulated and weatherproofed.

For an ice dam to form, snow or ice on the roof needs to melt before it refreezes in the gutter. Strong sun or a slightly warmer day can cause this melting, but an overlooked contributor is the warmth of the home itself. If the attic is poorly insulated, heat from the house can raise the surface temperature of the roof enough to cause accumulated snow and ice to melt. 

Keep the melting action at bay by installing, replacing, or reinforcing your attic’s insulation. Also seal any gaps where warm air might escape, such as around light fixtures, windows, hatches, chimneys, and ductwork.

3. Manage snow accumulations after storms.

It’s also good practice to remove as much snow as possible from your roof to reduce the volume of potential snowmelt. After a storm passes, use a roof rake or snow rake to clear the snow from your roof. 

How Frozen Pipes Lead to Costly Repairs

Frozen or burst pipes are a real concern in the winter as well. If water within a pipe freezes and expands, the ice can form a blockage or rupture somewhere in the plumbing system. Exterior pipes and pipes that are in poorly insulated areas, like garages and attics, tend to be most at risk.

Frozen or burst pipes can be expensive to remedy. A burst can easily run into the thousands of dollars, as a plumber may need to replace sections of pipework that are challenging to access. There are secondary costs to consider as well, such as repairing or cleaning walls, furnishings, and appliances that suffer water damage from a ruptured pipe.

To effectively avoid frozen pipes, prevention measures you can take include:

• Applying insulation to exposed pipework
• Installing heating cables or heating tape to keep pipes warm
• Maintaining a minimum home temperature of 55°F

Protecting Your Foundation and Walkways

Concrete, brick, and stone are vulnerable to damage from freezing and thawing cycles. Prevent snow damage and ice damage to your foundation and walkways by following these tips:

• Shovel snow from your walkways and around the perimeter of your home’s foundation after every snowstorm.
• Be mindful of drainage and create channels for snow and icemelt to flow away from your foundation.
• Weigh your options for deicing your walkway and driveway. Rock salt is inexpensive but can exacerbate winter damage to concrete. Potassium chloride and magnesium chloride are often better options.
• Monitor for cracks and apply sealants as soon as they arise.

Exterior Maintenance Tips for Harsh Winters

Preventive exterior maintenance can make managing the effects of winter storms easier. Some helpful guidelines include:

• Prevent frozen pipes by cutting water to exterior sources and draining residual water from the lines and hoses.
• Trim trees that overhang the home to prevent damage from limbs that fall due to wind, snow, or ice.
• Remove snow from key areas promptly, being mindful of eventual drainage and distance from the home’s foundation.
• Keep the gutters free of debris, ice, and dense snow.
• Maintain adequate outdoor lighting for safety when shoveling in low-light conditions.

When Winter Damage Is Covered by a Home Warranty

Home warranty protection is an excellent way to maintain healthy appliances and systems, but it’s unlikely to cover home damage that stems directly from winter storms and freezing temperatures. Storm damage is usually covered by homeowner’s insurance instead, though a home warranty may help with appliances and systems that break down because of greater usage demands in cold weather.