Call us on:
+1 (416) 265-7979
During winter, the different weather elements can damage parts of your home, and you may not even know it. Since it is challenging to find out what you need to fix in your home, having a professional do the work is the best way to go.
However, once contractors start to work on your house, you will need help cleaning up debris such as leftover materials from waste, scraps, and dust. We do not recommend cleaning yourself, as some of these materials require professional help from a disposal bin rental in Toronto. Let’s take a look at seven signs to look for on how to spot signs of winter damage to your home.
There is no doubt that winter weather brings in conditions where ice, snow, and hail can damage your roof. During the wintertime, poor ventilation and worn-out insulation in your roof enables warm air to rise from the areas of your home that are heated.
If there are strong winds, the water on your roof can drip and refreeze, causing an ice dam to form. Ice dams collect melting snow and water flowing down the roof. Because the center of the roof contains the most warmth, melting snow slides slowly through the seeps under the shingles. When this water is blocked from flowing off the roof from an ice dam, the water can seep into the roof and leak into the home. If you spot ice dams developing on your roof, you should schedule a roof inspection to look for more signs of damage.
High winds and winter storms can knock over trees and big plants, which could crack the siding on your house. If you have painted wood siding, your wood siding can rot when moisture builds up between the siding and the paint. Regardless of whether your siding is vinyl, aluminum, or wood, blowing snow is the main culprit for causing your siding to loosen. Take a look at your siding, and if you notice bulging or loose edges, it’s time to call a professional to replace or repair it.
As mentioned about ice dams causing roof leaks, leaving ice dams alone, regardless if they are new or not, creates build-up along the edge of your roof, which eventually pulls down your gutters and shingles. That’s why it’s important to spot ice dams on your roof right away because they can cause expensive damages to your roof, gutters, and the interior of your home.
If you want to prevent ice dams from growing on your roof, we recommend installing electric heating cables on your roof in the areas where ice dams or blocks of ice are likely to form. If you neglect to get rid of ice dams, it can shorten the lifespan of your gutters, so it is best to prevent them from building up.
Extremely cold weather can cause the exterior paint on your home’s wood siding to crack. If left untreated, these tiny cracks permit ice, snow, and rain to get between the siding and the paint, causing the paint to peel off and creating a pristine environment for mould to grow. Fortunately, peeling paint on your siding or other areas on the exterior areas of your home can be repainted on your own. You should aim to seal the holes with water-proof paint.
Ice that freezes on an asphalt driveway melts into water and could seep into its small cracks. Once these small cracks filled with water in the asphalt occur, it causes your driveway to freeze and form various potholes on your driveway. Potholes can start small, but they can get bigger if left untreated over time, making it difficult to park your car and walk on it. Observe your driveway for cracks and holes and if you notice them, seal them with tar when the springtime comes around.
In the wintertime, fluctuating weather temperatures can affect the water pipes in colder areas of your home like your basement. When water freezes inside your pipes, they expand and could potentially cause leaks located at the pipe’s joint. When water melts inside your pipes, it could burst and cause a flood in your home. When the weather is at freezing temperatures, be sure to check your pipes for expansion or leaks. You could prevent leaks and bursting pipes by placing heating tape on the exterior of the pipes located in cold areas of your home or outside.
Windows can get damaged in the winter months by melting frost and ice. Once the melting occurs, the moisture sits on the windows trims and drywall. Look for wet spots on the wood around your windows. Another common damage that could affect your windows is detached caulking. Cold temperatures can cause caulking to crack and create small gaps in your windows, making it drafty in your home. Look for small gaps in your windows and reapply caulk where needed.
During the wintertime, signs of damage to your home are a challenge to find because the signs are not obvious. So here is a recap of seven signs on how to spot signs of winter damage to your home:
Roof leaks. Ice dams can get bigger during the winter months causing leaks in your roof. The older your roof is, winter weather conditions are more likely to cause long-term damage. You should schedule a roof inspection to determine if it needs to be repaired.
If you would like to receive a free estimate on disposal bin rental in Toronto and the GTA, call Scarborough Disposal at (416) 265-7979 or contact us here.