Winter Perils
We’ve had a long dry summer amid these Covid times, but as sure as night follows day, winter is coming. And as in all years before, we will surely have some crazy winter storms. The skies will open up and dump amazing amounts of snow with high winds and freezing cold temperatures. Such is life in this great country we live in.
But while most of us will hide inside with thick socks and the furnace blasting to keep us warm, there will be perils that come with the winter weather. Every year we investigate many winter related files giving us extensive experience with the root causes of these problems and how to fix them.
With winter comes snow. And sometimes a lot of it. Many buildings including agricultural barns and older buildings can be susceptible to damage with excessive amounts of snow on the roof. Roof collapses or trusses fracturing are common occurrences. The building codes do a pretty good job of designing for expected snow weight, but older buildings may have deteriorated or were not designed to a modern code. And sometimes the amount of snow is just above and beyond what could be predicted. We are able to figure out if a roof should have survived a heavy snowfall, or if mother nature just won the day.
With heavy snow build up on poorly insulated roofs comes another problem commonly referred to as ice damming. If a lot of heat escapes into an attic space, the underside of a snow pile on a roof can melt and the water runs down over the shingles towards the eaves. The eaves that overhang the side of the house do not have the same heat exposure from the attic, so the water can then re-freeze before it gets to the eavestrough and drains away. If enough water accumulates at the bottom of the roof slope, it can create a frozen dam that lets more and more water and ice build up. A roof is intended to shed water as it occurs. It is not intended to hold water. Retained water behind an ice dam can flow back under the shingles and leak into the attic, walls, and house space. Water damage from roof top ice damming can occur from a variety of factors. With experience we are able to determine the roof cause of ice damming and provide solutions to prevent reoccurrences.
Remember the ‘frost quakes’ that made the news a few years ago? Temperatures dropped so low that the ground froze to levels deeper and colder than in recent memory. Deep frost can cause havoc with foundations as moist soil freezes and expands and contracts. There is a phenomenon called adfreezing where an unprotected concrete foundation wall can actually lift off its footing by the forces of the freezing soil. This can result in significant structural damage to a building that relies on a stiff and stable base. Depending on the extent of damage, repairs could include simply repairing drywall cracks, or in worse case scenarios result in demolition of the building. Costs of repair can be substantial, so determining a practical cost effective approach is needed.
In addition to these problems, there are always frozen pipes that cause a lot of damage. Water damage from a broken pipe can be costly and requires a decisive analysis. Winter weather also brings car accidents that could have been prevented with proper tires, and slip and fall accidents where snow and ice clearing on sidewalks and parking lots is not done properly.
Our office is prepared to assist with property, motor vehicle, and personal injury claims that are sure to come in the coming months. Give us a call and one of our experts will be able to provide a solution.
