Water may be essential to human life, but it can also be significantly damaging to one’s home. While we may have a long way to go before we say goodbye to winter for the year, it’s important to keep an eye on your Barrie home in order to prevent potential damages now, and those damages that may occur once the snow melts!
It is estimated that close to 40% of all home insurance claims are related directly to water damage. Whether it’s caused from a sewer back up or leaky faucet, water damage is a serious pain, and can lead to major safety and financial issues, without the proper precautions and insurance coverage.
Ice, Snow, and Rain
Barrie homes are designed to handle our harsh winters but they still require ongoing maintenance, especially following a heavy snowfall to prevent roof damage from built-up ice and snow. As gorgeous as those icicles lining your roof edges look, they could be a sure sign that your Barrie home is allowing heat to escape through the roof. When snow on your roof melts, the water flows to the edges of the roof and freezes, resulting in ice build-up. This ice formation blocks water from draining properly through the eaves troughs, resulting in water seeping under the roof through the walls and ceilings.
If you’re noticing any water stains, rings, blistering or water droplets, these are signs that water is seeping into your home.
Prevention Tips:
- Keep your attic well-ventilated and cool so that snow is less likely to melt and create ice dams.
- Be sure that your attic floors are well-insulated to reduce heat escape into the attic and through the roof.
- Take a look at the edges of your roof to see if there are ice dam formations. If you need to clear snow and ice from the roof, it’s wise to turn to a professional snow removal service for this.
- If your roof is over 15 years old, ask a professional to evaluate it for signs of wear and tear. It may be time to replace your roof should there be any prominent signs.
Snowbird Leaving Winter Behind?
Be sure to take these precautionary measures with your home prior to leaving for your winter vacation:
- Ensure that your plumbing and heating systems are working effectively to stop pipes from freezing
- Shut off your water at the source and open all faucets in your Barrie home, to drain water from the pipes
- If you’ll be away for more than 3 days, it’s a good idea to ask a friend or family member to drop in to check that the heat is working properly and there are no water leaks.
Turn to a Reliable Insurance Broker in Barrie
Rest easier this winter knowing that Will Marshall will offer you expert advice, several coverage options, and will clearly indicate to you what is and is not covered by your policy
For more water damage prevention tips, please do not hesitate to contact Will Marshall, serving the Barrie area. Call 705-726-2551