Watch Out For These Spring Home Hazards

The winter months, especially in New England, can take quite a toll on your home and property. Here in the Northeast, we seem to get just about everything thrown at us in winter. One day we get three feet of snow, and the next, it’s raining and 50 degrees outside.

And while we might laugh about our drastic weather swings, it eventually can cause hazards around your home. When all that snow melts, you could be left with a number of hazards to deal with.

We’ve compiled a few items to look out for when spring arrives:

Hanging Tree Branches

Something this Boston moving company knows a lot about are hanging or broken tree branches. Our movers in Boston encounter them all the time. Heavy snow, wind or extensive rain can weaken tree branches and cause them to either hang low or just break and fall.

As a homeowner, you should take them time to go through your property and make sure you don’t have any tree branches that could cause any damage to your home or other structures such as a tool shed. Weak or broken tree branches can damage your home, snap power lines and even break and fall through windows. Take the time to explore your property and remove any tree hazards.

Driveways & Stairs 

The winter can give your driveway pavement and other areas such as stairs a beating. When moisture gets under your driveway pavement and freezes, then thaws, it can cause cracks and you get what they call heaves. Those can stick up and cause walking hazards. The same goes for small potholes that can show up and the shifting of drain covers. Make sure you inspect your driveway and stairs and contact a qualified contractor that can make those repairs if needed.

Flooding
As they say, April showers bring May flowers and in New England, that’s 100 percent correct. Us New Englander’s can endure a week’s worth of rain before we even see the sun. But depending on where your live, can also dictate how much water your home could see. In the spring you have snow melting and more rain than other times of the year, creating another possible hazard for your home. And if you live near a river, you can see the water table rise and ground water enter your property.

While water goes where it wants to and if it can’t go one place, it finds another, it is very important to make sure your home is prepared for the entrance of water. Our crews have helped countless homeowners after they have had a flood and what we know is that water can cause extensive damage to a home and the contents.

If you know your home is prone to flooding, take the steps to protect what you own. Place items in flood-prone areas on shelves and create a clear pathway so nothing gets in the way. This is also a great time to contact a waterproofing specialist in your area. There are methods they can suggest to keep the water out of your home.

Exterior of Home
The exterior of your home could have suffered some damage during the winter. That includes the roof, your deck, gutters and siding. It is very important to address these as soon as possible. For example, if you have damage to your roof and you take on water, that can cause so many other issues with your home and cost you thousands of dollars in repairs. And of course, many headaches… The same goes for any siding that has been damaged. Water can get into your home and create a hazard and bust your budget in no time.

Spring is also a great time to make your home look good. Clean up the yard, lay some fresh bark mulch, spruce up your deck and plant some new shrubs and flowers.

Happy spring from all of us at Humboldt!