Snow, Ice and Your Home

by Mary Ann Romans | More from this Blogger

11 Dec 2008 12:50 PM

As you might have guessed by reading today's Frugal Living post, I have snow and the snow in New Orleans on my mind. We've already had our first good snow this year, although it melted away a couple of days later. Still I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about snow and your home.

When I was little, the windows in our apartment were so drafty that when it snowed, the snow would actually come in the windows and pile up in the corners of the windowsill. As a child, I thought it was great fun to make indoor snowmen, although I am sure my parents thought otherwise.

This brings me to the first point with snow. It should stay outside. If it is getting in your home, that is a big, um, huge, signal that you need to insulate with upgraded windows or doors, storm windows or doors or even plastic, rolled up towels or other physical blockers.

If ice gets into your front door lock and it freezes up, you can try this simple solution. Heat your house key up a little bit with a match and then try it in the lock.

If you tend to get long icicles hanging from your roof, then you may have some ice dams up there as well. An ice dam will clog up your gutters and prevent water from draining. This could cause damage to your roof. Iced dams can be dangerous to remove, so it is best to call a professional.

You can remove snow from your roof with a special roof rake, but go carefully. Always work from a ladder, not the roof itself, as it could be brittle or you could slip. Never attempt to melt the snow using chemicals or heat. This could damage the roof, and the chemicals could drip down and damage grass and plants.

Keep snow away from the house. When shoveling, don't pile it against the house and remove it from basement windows, stair wells, walk-out doors and walls. This will help keep your basement dry and keep your foundation free from damage.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, creating a home in the Home Blog and caring for little ones in the Baby Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

Related Articles:

Home Heating Costs: Have You Done the Snow Test?

Frugal Winter Wonderland: Ice Candles

Frugal Fun: Make A Snowman Kit

Learn more about Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, the kids and a 16-pound cat.

View Full Profile | More from this Blogger

Tashi (1013) 14 Dec 2008 05:21 AM

One more tip. If you have a dog, you may need to shovel a path or an area or two on your lawn/in your yard. This helps your canine friend have an easy place to take care of business. We have a small dog, so he needs us to make way for him in the yard (we take him on a leash). Nothing big or involved. If you have a larger dog, this may not be needed.

Mary Ann Romans (26876) 14 Dec 2008 08:12 PM

Good point!