How to Protect Your Home during a Blizzard

When the weather service calls for a blizzard, the storm can hit fast and hard. Though an average snowfall is not cause for much concern, a more significant storm can severely impact your home if you are not well prepared. Ensuring that your home is prepared for winter weather long before it strikes can prevent a variety of inconveniences from occurring during heavy snow and frigid temperatures.

Check the capacity of your roof: Most roofs can support around 20 pounds per square foot of snow and potentially more than that if you live in an area with frequent snowfall. To gauge the weight of snow on your roof after a storm, we recommend you follow these guidelines:

• 1 foot of fresh snow weighs about 5 pounds per square foot, which means your roof should be able to handle up to 4 feet of newly fallen snow without any complications.
• 3 to 5 inches of older, packed snow amounts to 1 foot of fresh. Therefore your roof should safely support 2 feet of older
• 1 inch of ice on your roof is equal to a foot of new snow, which means anything more than 4 inches of ice could leave your roof in trouble.

Protect your pipes: If temperatures drop well below average, the risk of frozen pipes increases, especially if a blizzard causes a power outage. Fortunately, there are a variety of ways you can prevent a pipe from bursting during harsh temperatures.

• Use a generator or alternative heat source to help keep the house warm.
• Properly insulate various openings, such as vents, plumbing stacks, access doors, and electrical wiring enclosures.
• Seal up any drafts in your doors or windows to preserve heat.
• Keep warm water moving throughout the colder days by allowing a small trickle of water to run.

If you are in need of storm restoration services in St. Louis, MO, contact EZ Home Solutions LLC today by calling (314) 665-1860. We will help clear your roof and repair any damages that may have been caused by the storm.