In Canada, we are bound to experience a bad winter storm at least once a winter. No matter if you’ve experienced inches or feet of snow, there will most likely be some things you need to do after the storm has passed. Our team at Five Star Tree Services want to go over how you can clean up after a winter storm.
Outside Checklist
1.Clear Off Snow
As soon as it’s safe enough to go outside, the first thing you should work on is clearing the snow away from your vehicles and house. Freshly fallen snow is easier and lighter to clear away than when you let it sit or be stepped on, which packs it tightly, making it harder to move it.
2.Check the Roof
Ice can accumulate on your roof and in your gutters. When this happens, it’s referred to as an ice dam, which stops melting water from properly running into the gutters and out the downspout. If this blockage happens, the water has to eventually go somewhere when there is a lot of it, leaving the only option for it to spill over the edge and down your home. In order to avoid this situation, periodically make sure you clear all the snow out of your gutters and roof.
3.Check Your Trees
Once you have the snow around your home under control, it’s time to check your beloved trees around the property (if you have a large property, stick to the ones close to home). Walk around and take a good look at all your trees and examine them, and assess the damage done to them. There could be snapped, broken, or fallen branches or whole trees. If there are dangerous branches or trees close to your home that could harm it or someone, you should contact a professional arborist to come and help safely remove it.
Inside Checklist
1.Examine Inside Your Home
Go around to every room and make sure that everything is as it should be. This means no broken or dripping ceilings, windows, or doors. If you do find this, it most likely means your roof is damaged and snow and water are getting inside. Also make sure to check all the faucets to make sure your water is working properly. If it’s not, something has happened to your pipes, such as them being frozen. If they are frozen, immediately shut off the water supply and call a plumber for help.
2.Examine Carbon Monoxide & Smoke Detectors
While you are going around and checking for damages inside your home, you also need to make sure that nothing has happened to your detectors. This is particularly important if you are experiencing a power outage and need to use alternative sources of heat, such as a fireplace, space heater, or generator. Make sure all the batteries are fully operational and working properly.
3.Keep Warm
If your power is out and you don’t have any backup heat source, stay warm by layering your clothes and gather in one room and shut the door. You will be able to trap everyone’s body heat in the one room by using towels to block drafts under the door and around windows. If possible, pick a room on the south side of your home, this is going to get the most sun and help it to be warmer during the day.
4.Refrain from Immediately Driving
It is not advisable to try and drive right after a storm. Try and wait until the snow plows have been able to clear the roads and salt them. If it is imperative you go out, try to stick to main roads as these are the ones attended to first by the snowplows. They should be cleared, and salted. Always make sure to look out for black ice.
How Five Star Tree Services Can Help
After a winter storm, the most important thing you can do is make sure your family is safe and sound. If you do find that there is a tree or large branch that has fallen, it’s important to contact professional arborists to come and help. Our team at Five Star Tree Services is here to help you with our emergency tree services in Toronto. Call us immediately at (416) 990-3355! We will be out right away to help with the situation.