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$14.95
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1 mg
Description
Learn how you can protect the foundations of your buildings against damage from snowmelt water by following these tips! Insurance companies generally don’t cover seepage from snowmelt, so you can end up paying for foundation replacement, basement repair, and replacement of damaged property out of your own pocket. How can you prevent snowmelt from damaging your foundation? Follow these steps. Prevent Damage Clear Snow Around the Buildings The first and most important step in preventing snowmelt from damaging your foundation is to clear snow around all your buildings. It’s not enough just to shovel out the doors and the walkways. Experts recommend a 5-foot clearance around snow and your buildings. Keep the area shoveled at all times. Even if your area temperature is normally below freezing, a sudden warm day in the middle of December or January can start snowmelt. You want to make sure it’s far away from your foundation. Fix Any Cracks in the Foundation Inspect your foundations for cracks every spring and fall. Fix them immediately. Concrete will let some water seep through even if it’s not cracked. If it’s cracked, the water is going to seep through even faster. Have a Sump Pump Ready A sump pump can help with excess water. If you don’t currently have one, buy one. If you do have one, make sure it’s in working condition in the early fall, long before winter comes. You don’t want to have to use it in February, only to find out it needs major repair or has conked out entirely. Don’t Try to Predict When Melt Will Come You need to be prepared for snowmelt at any point after snow begins. Don’t confine your protection methods to the late winter or early spring. Some climate-change scientists predict that snowmelt will happen more slowly going forward. That is a general statement, but it may not pertain to your individual amount of snowfall and warm days. A 50-degree day in December can cause snowmelt.
