As spring continues to approach, all of that winter snow is slowly but surely making it’s exit. There are many tips and tricks to prepare for winter, but it’s not often we talk about what to do when winter melts away.
All of that slush, mud and water can cause damage to our homes and property. Water in unwanted areas can cause flooding, and mold which can in turn lead to air quality issues. Accumulated snow in unwanted areas can also be a hazard not only to your family and limit mobility, but it can also threaten integrity of your roof, foundation or windows.
Here are a few tips to help make the transition from winter to spring go a lot smoother, and avoid any potential damage.
- Walk around your home and look for any areas where melting snow may have trouble draining. If you are comfortable doing it yourself, clear any debris or snow from your gutters. Otherwise you may want to contact a professional. You’ll also want to make sure all of your downspouts drain away from your home.
- Remove the snow from your stairwells, downspouts and basement window wells. These are areas you don’t want water to accumulate so keep shoveling that snow elsewhere. If you haven’t invested in a window well cover, look into the options available at Windowell Expressions before April brings rain showers that could damage your basement. A window well cover will keep rain and snow out of your window well. You can also caulk the perimeter windows to keep any water from leaking in. Of course, you don’t want to seal your basement windows so you have an escape in case of emergency.
- Clean snow away from all of your doors and windows to prevent flooding or leaking water. This includes basement window wells that don’t have a cover, and may have filled with snow. Shovel snow and ice from the perimeter of your home as best as you can.
- If you can, carefully remove heavy snow that has accumulated on your room to prevent your roof from collapsing or leaking.
- Shovel and clear your street cutters to help melting water travel away from your home as smoothly as possible.
If water does get in your home, act quickly. Dry everything that got wet to avoid mold, mildew or any further damage. It’s also a good idea to pay attention to your local weather so you can anticipate heavy rain or flash flood warnings.
If you do have problems with water in your home, this spring you may want to consider adding or increasing the slope of the ground away from your home. You may also think about adding gutter extenders so water drains further from your home. If you have problems with your window well accumulating water, make sure there is a good amount of gravel in the wells for better drainage. Again, adding a window well cover will help to keep water from accumulating in your well. As another preventative measure, it is wise to keep a working sump pump on hand in case the worst should happen.