Michigan winters are no joke – and big storms can pop up out of nowhere, causing damage to your home.
Here’s how you can prevent the majority of winter storm damage and keep your home safe until spring.
How to Prevent Winter Storm Damage
Use these tips to prevent winter storm damage:
- Keep your pipes warm
- Clean your gutters
- Trim tree branches that hang over your roof
- Have your roof inspected
Here’s a closer look at each of these.
#1. Keep your pipes warm
A burst pipe can cause a lot of damage – and water damage is some of the most expensive to fix. Keep your pipes warm by wrapping them in insulation, and open up cabinets wherever you can to allow warm air to circulate around them.
#2. Clean your gutters
If your gutters are full of debris, water will back up in them. Then, when the water freezes, it’ll expand and break your gutters.
#3. Trim tree branches that hang over your roof
A Michigan ice storm can weigh down branches all over your neighborhood – and chances are pretty good that you’ve seen trees drooping every winter. Make sure the trees that hang over your roof are trimmed so that branches don’t snap off and damage your roof.
#4. Check your roof when it snows
If you have a flat roof (perhaps over your porch or a home addition), you’re at risk of a collapse when snow builds up. You might want to get a roof rake with a long handle that you can use to scrape away packed snow.
