Winter’s hidden toll: What Wisconsin Winters Do To Your Home

It’s 6:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning. You’re just waking up when you glance out the window and see a whopping 8 inches of snow blanketing your home and yard. To some, it’s beautiful. Fresh snow hangs from the trees, the neighborhood is quiet, and everything looks like a postcard. To others, it raises a different question:

"Why on Earth do I live in this place?"

Either way, the snow has arrived, and there’s not much you can do about it.

But while most of us are busy admiring the view or dreading the shoveling ahead, there’s one question that rarely crosses our minds:

What is this weather doing to my house?

Most homeowners never think about it. We look at the snow piling up on the roof, the ice forming along the gutters, and the bitter cold settling in, but we assume our homes are built to handle it. And for the most part, they are.

The problem is that Wisconsin winters don't usually damage a home all at once. They do it slowly. One freeze-thaw cycle at a time. One snowstorm at a time. One bitterly cold night at a time.

By the time spring arrives, many homeowners discover that months of snow, ice, and freezing temperatures have left their mark. Let’s talk through 4 ways that Wisconsin winters can slowly take their toll on your home, and also solutions to help combat them.

#1: Ice damming

Ice dams are caused when heat escapes through the attic and melts the existing snow on the roof. That snow then melts, runs down toward the gutters, and refreezes. It then creates a barrier that traps additional water. That trapped water can make its way under shingles and into areas it shouldn’t be. The best ways to address this are to ensure your attic has proper insulation, proper ventilation for excess heat to dissipate, and address any air leaks into the attic where your heat is escaping through.

#2: Frozen pipes

When temperatures drop below freezing, water inside exposed piping can freeze and expand. This expansion can cause the pipe to burst open. A burst pipe can cause damage to drywall, flooring, personal belongings, etc. The best way to make sure you don’t end up with cracked or burst piping is to insulate exposed piping, properly caulk and seal around plumbing penetrations on the exterior.

#3: Insulation issues

Wisconsin winters will quickly expose inadequate insulation in your attic. Here you are paying all this money to heat your home, and it’s escaping right through that weak insulation. This causes your heating system to work even harder than it already is. The best way to combat this is to make sure that your attic insulation is compliant with local recommendations. In Wisconsin, an R-value of R49 is recommended in attic spaces to ensure you aren’t losing excess heat from the home that you just paid for.

#4: Foundation shifting

Water in the soil surrounding your foundation freezes and forces the ground to expand. When it does, it puts excess pressure on your foundation walls. This repeated freeze-thaw cycle is what causes movement in your foundation over time. Ways to help prevent this is to do your best job of keeping water moving away from your foundation before winter. Proper downspout extensions, proper grading around the home, and monitor basement walls for new or growing cracks.

Final remarks

While snow-covered rooftops and frozen landscapes may be part of the season's charm, winter can put a tremendous amount of stress on your home. Understanding these risks and addressing them early can help keep your home safe, efficient, and comfortable throughout the winter months.