Tips to protect your property during cold weather
When it freezes again after a thaw, layers of ice can form on pavements, driveways and garden paths, for example. We experience these freeze-thaw-freeze conditions several times during a winter period, and it should not be confused with what is known as black ice, which only happens very rarely. Ice layers form when water on the ground cools and freezes to ice. The water is on the ground before it freezes to ice. The water can come from many places. For example, rainfall followed by a temperature drop, or maybe ice or snow melts in the sun and then freezes again. All it takes for ice layers to form is water on the ground and temperatures dropping below 0 degrees Celsius. If water keeps coming, the ice layers will grow bigger and thicker. Ice layers can damage the paving around your house, and parts of your house can crack in severe frost if they are saturated with moisture.
Ice layers are particularly annoying. and potentially dangerous, for the elderly and walking-impaired, mail and newspaper deliverers and garbage collectors, who risk falling.
What can you do?
In some cases, as a homeowner you are responsible for clearing snow in front of your house. Clear the snow from the pavement in front of your property immediately after it has stopped snowing. Grit or salt the pavement as necessary (between 7am and 10pm - on Sundays only from 8am).
Remove snow and ice and dig out gutters and grates so that meltwater can drain away and does not freeze. Use a shovel, spade or old-fashioned iron snow scraper. It may be a good idea to salt or grit walkways. Salt melts the ice and you only need to apply a small amount of salt for it to work. Sprinkle by hand or use a shovel. Note, however, that salt is not good for your plants, bushes and trees. As a homeowner, you are responsible for removing snow and ice from walkways and the pavement in front of your house, so that no one slips or is injured.
If someone is injured on the pavement in front of your house, you must report the injury to your home insurance. It is up to your insurance company to assess whether you have acted responsibly and sufficiently with regard to removing snow and ice, and whether the injured party is entitled to compensation. Check whether your home insurance includes homeowner's liability coverage.
Hidden water pipes in your roof, walls and floor structures are vulnerable in cold weather. During a hard frost, water pipes running along exterior walls, roofs, near exterior doors and windows, or in unheated rooms can burst due to freezing. Burst pipes may also lead to water damage to your house when it starts to thaw again. Changing your heating system or how you heat your house can also lead to hidden pipes bursting during hard frost. If you have an outdoor tap, the tap and the pipes that run from it into the house are also exposed.
What can you do?
Ensure sufficient heating (+14 degrees Celsius) in all the rooms of your house to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting. Pay special attention if you have a summer cottage that you shut down for the winter.
Up until to 1972, hidden joints were allowed in water piping systems. So, if your house was built before 1972, you should be aware of this. Pipes can be hidden in closed off roof spaces, inside walls and in ceilings. Pay special attention to pipes in unheated rooms and pipes that are close to poorly insulated exterior walls and ceilings. Some of the pipes may need to be insulated. You can install a water alarm that will notify you or automatically shut off the water supply if it detects an unusual peak in your water consumption.
Icicles will often form when it starts to freeze again after a thaw. This can also happen during frosty weather, when ice and snow melts in the sun. If your roof is poorly insulated, it will give off heat. If the air temperature is below freezing, this can cause the snow on your roof to melt and then turn into icicles along the edge of your roof. If snow keeps melting over the side of your roof, the icicles will grow bigger. Icicles can grow very large, sharp and heavy. If they hang from a roof, there is a risk they can injure people or damage objects if they break off and fall from the roof. As a homeowner, you have a duty to remove icicles or cordon off the area below the icicles so that no one gets hurt.
What can you do?
Keep gutters, downpipes and grates clean so that meltwater can run off and does not freeze to ice in gutters or similar. You can mitigate the risk of icicles forming along the edge of your roof by making sure your attic is not leaking heat, for example by insulating your roof. You can prevent icicles by installing electric heating cables in gutters and downpipes. Some types of heating cables only turn on when the temperature is close to freezing. This saves power. You can remove icicles by knocking them down with a broom or rake. Be careful, icicles can be a hazard even while you are removing them. Therefore, cordon off the area below the icicles before removing them.
As a homeowner, you may have to pay compensation if someone is injured due to icicles falling from your roof.
Low-sloped roofs are more often exposed to larger snow volumes than they can bear. When this happens, the roof risks collapsing. This is likely when large volumes of drifted and compacted snow accumulate on the roof. Compacted snow on a low-sloped roof can prevent water from running off. If water is left standing, it can run into the attic and cause water damage. After a sudden thaw, damage can occur because large amounts of water are released all at once.
What can you do?
Keep an eye out for snowdrifts on the roof. Remove the snow before more snow accumulates than the roof can handle. When you remove snow from your roof, dispose of it where it does not prevent meltwater from running off the roof. You should also not leave it where it obstructs your road or pavement. Also remember that it is dangerous to be on a roof.
During a sudden thaw, large amounts of snow and ice will thaw very quickly. Meltwater collecting around your house can cause the plinth and basement walls to become moist, or the meltwater can enter your house through the basement windows, basement door or other exterior doors. Water can damage your house and cause paint to discolour and peel. If components of your house are saturated with moisture, they can burst or crack in severe frost. Snow can accumulate in outdoor basement stairwells or light shafts or against the facade of your house. Snowdrift can enter your ceilings or accumulate on the leeward side of your roof and then melt at a later stage.
What can you do?
Remove snow that accumulates close to your house or against the side of your house. Make sure that meltwater can flow away from your house, possibly by making sure the ground slopes slightly away from the house. If this is not enough, dig channel to divert the water away. Keep drains and grates clean and free of leaves, dirt and ice. Check that your gutters, roof drains and grates work and remove snowdrift from the attic. A perimeter drain along the exterior of your basement is a good solution to reduce the risk of water entering through basement walls.