The Dangers of Snow Around Your Home
We have been blessed with snow in Durango this Winter. Well, depending on how you look at it! To date, we have about 2 feet more than last year in the high country (https://goo.gl/pV5Hd8). We are not complaining, but I do want warn you about the hurdles that accompany heavy snowfall. Snow removal is commonplace in Colorado, but spend an extra ten to twenty minutes going above and beyond and you will save yourself some headaches when the snow melts.
Clear Snow Near Walls of House
I know clearing snow is all you do when you get home from work, but if it’s practical, try to shovel it away from your home’s siding. Not only can long term exposure to wet snow ruin stucco or wood siding, but it can melt and get under your home’s foundation. If you’re not too worried about your home’s exterior, think about the interior paint, woodwork, trim, etc. that’s nearby. I know it doesn’t seem plausible, but when snow melts it often drips into new cracks and refreezes at night. This causes problems in your home’s foundation and other nooks and crannies inside your home. So be sure to clear at least a foot between your snow piles and your home to keep damage at a minimum.
Keep Snow Off Roof
Whether you use a roof rake or a shovel, keep that snow from piling up! Not only are you risking your roof caving in, you run the risk of ice damming. Both problems are way more common than you think. The former is less common, but you’d be surprised with a winter we’ve been having. For those of you who are less familiar, ice damming occurs when snow melts and refreezes. This often shifts ice up and into cracks that leads into your home. Some of us are lucky enough to have heat cables installed or a roof with a high pitch. Some of us are stuck with the design flaws because fixing the pitch in a roof is pricey! So as tempting as it may be to let that snow pile up and take care of it on the weekend, it’s best to take it down once it’s surpassed a couple inches.
Call for Help
Do not be afraid to call in a professional. Our team has the equipment and experience to prevent issues like the one’s described above. And let’s be honest, sometimes you just need a break from all the snow shoveling, so let us do it for you! If you know your home’s exterior or interior walls could use a repair, we can help with that, too!
If snow removal becomes too daunting a task to take on, let us do it for you. Call anytime at (970) 903-4305. We work in the Durango area and can help with almost any home improvement project.