Cold Weather Can Impact Your Iowa Home
Cold Weather Damages Your Home
Heavy snow, cold weather, and fierce winds all can cause havoc on your home. This negative effect can be more than an annoyance for you as a homeowner, it can damage your home intensely. Let’s learn how the winter weather can impact your home and what you can do to help minimize the damage.
Ways Cold Weather Can Negatively Impact Your Home
- Snow and ice put a strain on the roof: Condensation and freezing temperatures, including ice dams can all cause severe damage to your roof. Roof leaks, strong winds can loosen shingles, and icicles put stress on your roof.
- Ice Dams weigh down the gutters: When ice and snow build up in open-style gutters, ice dams can occur.
- Cold can crack the window caulk: Fluctuations in winter temperatures can cause caulk to pull away from windows, which in turn creates drafts that let warm air out and cold air in.
- Wet conditions rot doorframes: Doors are important in keeping the cold weather out. When exposed to winter conditions, the frames around your doors can grow soft and damp, leading to wood rot and an invitation to termites in the spring season.
- Winter elements can weather the deck: Your deck is not immune to winter weather damage. Winter moisture is a breeding ground for mold and mildew. The moisture can cause discoloration of your deck. To avoid scratching the deck boards when shoveling, use a stiff broom or plastic shovel.
- Fluctuating temperatures can damage the siding: Vinyl siding can become brittle in cold temperatures and is vulnerable to cracking. If water seeps behind the cracks, it can cause damage to the foundation of the home.
