If you’ve listened to the weather forecast lately, you’ve noticed the back and forth of temperatures we experience this time every year. Cold one day, warm the next. While most of the time we can appreciate our ups and downs, the truth is that temperature changes can wreak havoc on our homes and business. In order to prevent disasters, you might want to spend a few minutes checking out these areas of your house. If you experience water problems due to broken pipes or ice dams on your roof, please give us a call. We’ll help to restore your property.
Here’s what to watch out for.
Foundations. The soil around the perimeter of your home or office is affected by our weather. It can wash away during heavy rainstorms, causing it to shift slightly. It expands during rainfall resulting in leaks. The problem can be exacerbated by poor drainage. Look around your home after severe rain. Check the following areas:
- Porches that may be sagging
- Concrete or bricks that are cracking
- Or walls that may show signs of leaning or bowing
Basements. Very often when we get calls, it involves flooding in the basement. Cracking foundations or poor drainage outside your home can result in flooding in your basement. Our advice is to check your basement often. If you have a drain near a basement door, make sure it’s always clear of debris. There are some pretty nice water detection devices on the market now that you can put in your basement, perhaps by a sump pump, that will warn you when there is leaking. These devices are often wifi enabled, providing alarms to come to your phone.
Plumbing. Our Denver weather is particularly hard on plumbing. The freeze and thaw cycle causes snow to melt and then refreeze. The refreezing, plus warm air from the inside, can produce icicles and ice dams on your roof. Ice dams can easily lead to interior leaks. If possible, remove these ice dams from your roof to prevent water damage.
During cold weather conditions, pipes can freeze and thaw too, causing them to break and release water inside your house. There are things you can do around the house to protect your plumbing during severely cold weather.
We hope you avoid any weather-related disasters this year. Taking the time to walk through your property and around your exterior now, can sometimes point to areas of concern. If you do have problems with water, fire or smoke damage, please Call Restoration 1 of West Denver (720-605-2994 ) at the first sign of damage.