Monday, March 25, 2013

Watching Out for Winter Water Damage

By Hedrick Lepsch


America is known for its ability to unite as one under the stars and stripes when disaster strikes. From the time of the Revolutionary War down to today, men and women have worked together to accomplish a greater good for the future of the nation.

At times only a small leak in the basement water heater or radiator can cause extensive damages through flooding. Other times water damage in Minneapolis in the winter comes in the form of freezing water that causes ice damage to a home or structure.

In unfortunate circumstances, all the cold air and moisture can translate into water damage in Long Island homes. There are several dangers that can come from the winter season that you should watch for over the next couple of months, all of which have to do with water getting into places it shouldn't.

Take the leaky radiator, for example. Some homes in the Minneapolis area rely on the use of radiators that circulate heated water to heat the home. If the radiator in a home has sprung a leak, than the water that should be circulating inside the heating system of that home leaks onto the surfaces and floors of the home.

Within days, these supplies and volunteers from around the country could be found scattered across the island helping anyone and everyone with their immediate needs. Within a few weeks, famous stars had raised money from a benefit concert and the city was receiving the help it needed to get the power on.

Second, watch out for ice dams. You heard it right; ice dams can build up on your home. This begins with a simple snow fall on your roof. When your roof isn't properly insulated or ventilated, heat from the inside seeps out into the snow above it. The heat melts the snow for a while. The cold refreezes it as a solid sheet of ice that blocks the flow of water. The name comes from its effect on the flow. Since melted water is trying to escape down, but can't find an exit, it starts building up until it can reach the shingles.

Once it's in your shingles, it's in your house, and you have dripping water or running walls. Removing it can be a bit of a challenge. When you do it wrong, you can send a large block of ice off the roof at a high rate of speed, breaking anything or hurting anyone below. You can also damage your roof or hurt yourself if you don't do it right.

A foundation created by the famous football star Drew Brees of the New Orleans Saints donated $1 million dollars to continued recovery efforts. Communities are running 5K races and donating their proceedings to helping out people still in trouble. Amway continues to provide food, shelter, medicine and more for victims that are still left without a place to live or sustenance. These are just a few of the headlines of today's news real.

When this information is applied to a home the resulting damages can be easily imagined. Think of melting snow that covers the roof of a house leaking into all the cracks and crevasses that a liquid can leak into and then refreezing to expand inside those cracks.

Some of the best ways to prevent winter water damage in Long Island homes are keeping the gutters clear, preventing ice dam build up, and keeping your pipes from freezing. You winter will be much happier that way.




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