YOUR ROOF CAN'T WEAR A PARKA IN COLD WEATHER. HERE'S HOW YOU CAN KEEP IT WARM & COZY.

During snow and ice season, ice dams are an invisible threat that can cause major damage to your home and roof. Learn how you can help to keep them from forming

• Consider professional help. Winter weather can be treacherous, so you may want to consider hiring a professional to handle some of the more potentially hazardous tasks, like clearing your roof post-storm or getting frozen pipes back up and running.
• Keep your home properly ventilated. Proper ventilation allows cold air into the attic, while the insulation seals heat in your living areas. This can help prevent warm air from melting ice on the roof, leading to possible damage.
• Going out of town? Keep your home warm enough to prevent pipes from freezing. Generally, that means setting the thermostat to at least 55 degrees or above.  Having someone check on your home while you are gone is also a great idea.
• A homeowner's best defense against ice dams, may be a home energy audit with a blower door test—which can cost $200 to $650, depending on the service and your location. The blower door, a machine used to measure a home's airtightness, can also be used to locate air leaks in a home.

When checking homeowner insurance and insurance quotes, it’s important to check what their coverage is for ice dams.  Insurance is like most things – It’s what you get for the money that determines the value.  Contact Daniel Oliver in Edina, MN to review your homeowner insurance and make sure you are well covered. dan@oliveragency.com, 952-925-4454.