3 Ways Ice Storms Can Cause Substantial Damage To Your Property
The temperatures drop below freezing and instead of snow, freezing rain comes down at an alarming rate. While the aftermath of an ice storm can be a beautiful sight, it can also be one of the most damaging things you will ever experience as a homeowner. The layer of hefty ice that is hanging around when an ice storm is over can create all kinds of costly problems. As a homeowner, it is a good idea to know what kinds of problems you can expect after a major ice storm has traveled through your area.
Damage to the roof of your home.
The weight of ice can be heavy, and this is the kind of heft that your roof may not be designed to support. While roof damage after an ice storm is not the most common problem, it is definitely a possibility, especially if the storm lasts for a long time or several layers of ice are allowed to accumulate to create an ice dam. This layered ice can cause everything from broken shingles to a collapsing roof in the worst case scenarios. because of this, it is a good idea to do what you can to keep the ice removed from the roof after an ice storm.
Damage to your siding.
Some forms of exterior cladding will hold up fine to a hefty layer of ice, such as stone or brick. However, there are some forms of home siding that are far less resistant to heavy weight. For example, vinyl siding is usually pretty resilient, but the extra heft of a thick layer of ice can be really taxing on each piece. You may see strips of siding fall out of pace because it has broken loose from its fasteners or even see full sections of vinyl siding peel away from your home because it is too heavy to stay in place.
Damage to your plumbing and water damage to your home.
An ice storm can mean a long list of problems, from freezing temperatures to no power because of damaged power lines. Therefore, it is not at all uncommon for homeowners to be facing problems with frozen or busted plumbing lines during an ice storm. For one, the temperatures are definitely cold enough to cause them and two, if the power is out, it also means in a lot of cases that there is no way to keep the plumbing pipes warm to prevent freezing.
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