Protecting Your Home From Ice This Winter

Winter is in full swing, and in New York, winter often comes with plenty of ice. As beautiful as ice can look, ice can also do a lot of damage to our homes and property if we’re not prepared for it. From power outages, frozen pipes, broken trees, and flooding, ice can do a cause a whole lot of trouble in a short amount of time, but luckily, there are things you can do to prevent this damage!

Here are five things you can do to protect your home from ice this season:

1. Guard your gutters: Installing gutter guards to your gutters keeps leaves and other foliage out, but it also helps prevent ice freezing in your gutters and causing a back up that leads to flooding in your home.
2. Trim your trees: Trees are often the first to fall victim to the ravages of ice, but if you have overhanging branches, they are not only dangerous, but they can damage your home when they freeze. Branches near your home can freeze, fall off, and damage your property if they’re not properly trimmed.
3. Weather stripping: When you add weather stripping to your windows, it stops moisture from leaking into your home which can cause foundational issues and other problems. Not only will it help protect your home, but it can also save you money on your energy bills each month!
4. Protect pools and hot tubs: If your pool or hot tub cover has a dense layer of snow on it, it will become even heavier when it freezes during an ice storm. When this happens, it can break through and damage your pool and hot tub before you know it.
5. Drip, drip, drip: When you know a winter storm is coming, letting your taps drip just the slightest bit can help prevent your pipes from freezing, bursting, and causing a whole load of problems for you. Adding insulation to areas with pipes is another great way to prevent them from freezing.