Water Damage From Snow in Meriden, CT

12/7/2021 (Permalink)

When snow leaks in to your home in Meriden, you can end up with severe water damage and mold growth that requires immediate attention.

Snow water damage in Meriden, CT is more likely to occur than most homeowners think. Snow can leak through your roof, seep into walls, or even leak into your basement. However, these damages can usually be easily avoided with the right preventative steps.

Here, we will go over the different ways that melting snow and ice can damage your home, and how to prevent it from happening.

Ways Snow Causes Water Damage in Meriden, CT

1. Ice Dams

2. Excessive Snow and Ice Melt

3. Roof Damage

Ice Dams

One of the most common causes of water damage from snow on your roof are ice dams.

Ice dams form when there's snow on your roof, and your attic temperature is high enough to warm the roof. Warm air may leak into your attic through exhaust vents, inadequate insulation, unsealed doors, or even recessed lighting in the ceiling below.

When your roof warms up, fresh snow melts and flows to the edge of the roof where it refreezes. It refreezes at the edge as this area of your roof isn't above the attic, and retains a cooler temperature.

Over time, this process creates a large ridge of ice on the edge of your roof which we refer to as an ice dam. Once an ice dam forms, it's likely for it to damage shingles, allowing melted snow to penetrate the roof and leak into your attic.

Once an ice dam causes a roof leak, snow water damage can quickly spread around your home. This snow and ice leak can cause water damage to walls, ceilings, flooring, saturate insulation, and even cause mold growth. When this happens, professional water damage restoration services in Meriden are required.

To prevent ice dams and water damage in Meriden from snow on your roof, you can:

• Install additional insulation to prevent warm air leaking in from living spaces
• Install a roof venting system which keeps it cool
• Use a roof rake to remove snow before it melts
• Use heated roof cables to melt snow off of the roof

Excessive Snow and Ice Melt

You may not expect it, but excessive ice and snow melt can actually flood your basement in Meriden, CT. When it's warm and sunny after a severe snowstorm, snow and ice can melt faster than the ground around your home can absorb, similar to after a heavy rainstorm.

This excess snowmelt causes groundwater levels to rise, which exerts a high amount of pressure on your foundation. If the pressure is high enough or there are cracks in your foundation, water will seep right through it and into your basement. The flooding may seem to come out of nowhere, but it's likely caused by the foot of snow melting right outside of your foundation.

To prevent flooding or water damage from snow melting, you should make sure that your gutters direct water away from your foundation and that you shovel snow away from your foundation, rather than on top of it.

Roof Damage

Perhaps the most obvious way that snow can cause water damage in Meriden, CT is by damaging your roof. When there's heavy snow and ice on the roof of your home, it can cause damages that are completely separate from an ice dam.

The weight of heavy snow can damage your roof structurally, causing gutters to sag and pull away from your home, damage flashing, exterior walls, or skylights.

When these parts of your roof are damaged by the weight of snow and ice, it opens up the possibility for water leaks. So, if you don't notice roof damage from snow right away, you can end up with serious water damage and mold growth inside of your home.

In order to prevent roof damage from heavy snow, you can take some of the same precautions as ice dams. Be sure to not let heavy snow or ice sit on the roof for too long, and have your roof inspected by a professional if you suspect it has sustained any damages.

Snow Water Damage in Meriden, CT? Call Us 24/7 For Assistance - 800-734-3213