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We all love Park City winters, but the harsh winter weather in Park City does some serious damage to our homes. From ice dams to roof leaks, homeowners find most disasters happen during the hardest time of year to respond to them. In order to prevent many wintertime issues, here are 5 winter home maintenance items homeowners should check thoroughly while the weather is good to avoid emergencies in the winter.
Heat Tape
Heat tape is one of the most crucial pieces of winter maintenance equipment on a house to make it through a Park City winter without leaks or worse damages. There are two basic types of heat tape that you can choose from. Simply put, there’s a type that works really well and a type that doesn’t work really well. It is a perfect case of you get what you pay for, and commercial grade heat tape is worth the extra cost. The initial expense may be much higher, but taking into consideration the benefit of protecting the longevity of your roof will naturally save money in the long run. Emergency leaks or roof repairs are very expensive and can cause damage to things inside the home that may be priceless. Preventative measures are always the way to go.
Roof Leaks/Shingle Repair
Snow and ice cause a great deal of damage to our roofs, especially if you have asphalt shingles. Ice sticks to and pulls off asphalt shingles. During spring cleanup I always find shingles laying around the house that fell off through the winter. Once homeowners get their new commercial heat tape working flawlessly, it’s important to go on the roof and repair any shingle damage that was caused by ice build-up throughout the past years.
Emergency leaks or roof repairs are very expensive and can cause damage to things inside the home that may be priceless.
Roof Gutter Functionality
Icicles and ice dams terrorize roof gutters. These need to be replaced far more frequently than we typically think. In most climates, installing a roof gutter is a one-time thing, but with the harsh climate in Park City, homeowners need to stay on top of patching holes, re-grading, and adjusting the gutters on their roof. If homeowners stay on top of this they can limit the damage that ice and water do to whatever is down below.
Grading the Permitter of Your Home
An important key to making sure your basement doesn’t flood is to have grading specialists look at the ground outside your house to make sure water runs away from your house rather than toward your house. This is a key part as water always finds a way in if the proper steps aren’t taken to ensure that it goes away from your house rather than to it.
Sewer Pipe Cleaning
As most of the homes get a well-needed break from guests after the long Park City rental season, summer is a great time to flush out and clean all your sewer pipes. There’s nothing worse than a backed-up sewer line in the middle of a stay. I know from experience…many experiences. Whether you are a full-time Park City resident or you use your property for vacation rentals during the winter, a sewer pipe flush is essential for keeping your pipes safe from the deadly cold.
Have any winter home maintenance tips of your own? Drop them in the comments below.