Saskatchewan is beginning to see a slow melt of the snow as spring sun warms the air, but the constant freezing and thawing can be trouble for homes, experts say.
Winter might be over, but the cold temperatures still linger after the sun goes down, and the resulting ice can severely damage homes if it isn’t dealt with in a timely manner.
“Anytime you try to remove the ice, you could end up damaging the shingles which is going to create more issues in the long run of things,” said Brandon Mcallister with Winmar Property Restoration.
He said radiant heat from attics and the sun can cause packs of snow on home roofs to melt, only to freeze within the eaves as soon as the evening temperatures hit.
This process can lead to ice damming – the accumulation of excessive snow on the lower ends of a rooftop.
The damage will start to show on the interior of the home when the snow starts to seep through the insulation.
“The insulation is a big sponge so a lot of the time that insulation could be soaking up a lot of the water and you won’t even notice it until it’s finally started to show up on your ceiling,” said Mcallister.
Senior property director Lee-Ann Ross with SGI said snow around a house might be just as serious of a concern.
“Everybody’s got these major snowfalls that have occurred over the winter and it’s really tricky to get them away especially when the wind blew it in under your deck and along the side of your house. Getting that water away from your house is probably the most important thing to do right now,” Ross said.
Homeowners need to stay vigilant and create flow paths leading water away from their homes if they don’t want the melting snow flooding in through basement windows.
The City of Saskatoon said the sewer system has the capacity to handle the spring melt, but property owners need to make sure the water can find its way to the drains and catch basins.
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