It is important to take measures to ensure your home and foundation are well protected during the winter months. As like many areas of your home, winterizing is a vital step to preventing unnecessary damage during the cold winter months.
Before the winter weather hits, it’s imperative to take a good look around your home to pinpoint any potential signs of damage, even minor issues. Specifically, keep an eye out for any wall cracks, especially if they are vertical and wide. Also, any jammed doors, moisture damage in the basement, cracks in the slabs, and buckling or uneven floors. Any of these signs should be inspected and addressed by a foundation expert.
Learn how to safeguard your foundation from the winter weather with these tips below.
Check Your Windows:
If the seal around your window is damaged or there are cracks in the wall surrounding your windows, these can be entry points in your walls and foundation for moisture to infiltrate. To prevent this, you will want to winterize your windows by sealing up any cracks or leaks to keep the rain or snow outside.
Snow Removal:
Once snow begins to accumulate during the winter months, you will want to keep in mind to not pile any snow removed from walks or driveways next to your home’s foundation. You will want to ensure that snow is a good few feet away from your foundation. A garden bed located away from your home is a good option for snow since it will absorb the excess moisture during the melt-off.
Clean Your Gutters:
If your gutters are clogged up with fall leaves, this can create a big problem come winter. Debris that’s left behind creates dams in gutters which then prevents moisture from draining away from the roof, walls, and foundation. This can cause water to pool near your foundation and accumulate in the soil, creating significant damage over time. Always have your gutter system cleaned out and repaired if needed before the snow and ice arrive.
Check and Position Your Downspouts:
Check the ground surrounding your home near the downspouts from your gutters for areas of pooling water. If you notice puddles or an obvious low point in the ground near the home, make sure that the downspouts are directing water away from the house. Downspouts are meant to direct water away from the perimeter of your home, so consider extending yours if it’s not diverting excess moisture from the roof far enough away.
Irrigation Systems:
If you have a sprinkler system or garden hose, always double-check that they are switched off well in advance of the sub-zero temperatures. Aside from the risk of the pipes freezing and bursting, frozen faucets can end up leaking if they’re left on, adding more moisture close to the foundation and making it vulnerable to damage.
The foundation is integral to the structural safety of your home and should be inspected every year before the winter arrives. Neglecting or ignoring precautionary measures can lead to major problems and costly repairs. Follow these steps to safeguard your foundation from the winter weather each year.
You Can Rely on Missouri Foundation and Foam for any Foundation Repair Needs
Each repair appointment begins with an inspection to assess the extent and the origin of the damage. Our team provides homeowners with fast and effective foundation maintenance and repair services. With years of experience and training, our team can help you keep peace of mind when you are in need of repairs.
Contact Missouri Foundation and Foam today at 573-567-0757 or use the contact form on our website to begin the foundation repair services.
