617-625-8400Well, we’re 3 weeks into winter and the snow just keeps coming here in Massachusetts! With the many snow storms, icicles and huge mounds of snow can be seen in every neighborhood. These can present some added dangers for homeowners. Here are a few MA property maintenance tips specific to icicles and snow around your property.
Icicle Dangers
During sunny days, you may find that the snow on your roof starts to melt. Unfortunately, if the water in your gutters are frozen, they may have few places to go. As melted snow flows over the gutters and drips, icicles begin to form. They can get quite long and dangerous.
It is important to break apart and remove these icicles, especially in areas near walkways and driveways. Falling ice can cause injuries to anyone standing nearby. You should also consider clearing icicles hanging above utilities such as gas meters. In the news this week, it was reported that icicles have actually ruptured gas lines. Removing icicles may also prevent ice dams from forming along the edge of your roof.
How Snow Affects Property Condition
There are really few places to put all of this snow. It may be building up against all areas of your property. There are a few places that you should consider clearing out as it can cause damage to your home.
- Doorways
Remove the snow touching your doorways including basement and patio doors. Many of these doorways have wood thresholds can be damaged by the snow, especially when it starts melting. - Windows
The same goes for windows. If snow mounds are actually reaching your window sills, they could damage the wood. - Siding
Siding may be a difficult area to address, but here’s why snow up against your siding is not good. If you have wooden siding, it can shorten its lifespan. For vinyl siding, the snow (or melting snow) can cause water to get behind the siding and into your home.
Other MA Winter Property Maintenance Advice
It is obviously much more difficult to maintain the exterior of your home and address icicles and snow build-up with the temperatures being so cold. The potential damage to your home can be quite expensive if you do not address some of them in a timely manner. If you are not physically capable of performing the work yourself, consider hiring a contractor. Your health and safety is most important, so do not push yourself or put yourself in an unsafe situation.
