Check Your Home for Signs of Winter Damage

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Winter damage to area homes isn’t uncommon considering the storms and harsh weather we experience in Southwest Ohio. Not all damage is as obvious as a tree branch crashing through your roof, though. Checking your home for damage before the warm weather arrives helps prevent minor problems from becoming major ones.

  • Damaged gutters — Gutters and downspouts that are loose, leaky or out of place can drain water straight into your basement or crawl space, causing basement water damage and encouraging mold growth. Prevent this by ensuring your gutters are clean, free from leaks, and aligned to drain away from your foundation.
  • Sunken spots — To prevent flooding and pooling water, as well as reduce mosquito breeding spots, fill any sunken areas along your foundation with soil.
  • Shifted concrete — Inspect the concrete slab under your air conditioner or heat pump and any other concrete for cracks or signs of shifting. Repair cracks with a concrete crack filler and polyurethane sealant or silicone caulk.
  • Frost-damaged fittings — If the water pressure from your outdoor hose bib is so weak you can stop the water with your thumb, it’s a sign the interior pipe is leaking and you’ll need to replace the pipe.
  • Deteriorating wood — Snow and frost can cause wood to swell, crack, and crumble. Use a sharp object to gently probe your wood doors, window trim, railings, and deck for winter damage.
  • Ruined shingles — Standing on the ground, take a close look at your roof for shingles that are missing, loose, cracked or otherwise damaged. Summer heat will only exacerbate this damage, so now’s the time for repairs. Call a roofer to examine the metal flashing around your plumbing vents and chimneys, which can leak if damaged.
  • Chimney damage — Look over the exterior of your fireplace chimney for damaged bricks or leaning.
  • Air conditioner issues — To prepare your air conditioner for the cooling season, call a heating and cooling professional for an annual cleaning and tune-up.

For advice on identifying winter damage or help making repairs, contact us at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing anywhere in the Greater Cincinnati Ohio.

Image via Shutterstock.com

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"Ernie & Mike did a superb job on my new furnace and A/C installation. Despite having more than a day’s work to do, they came in and stayed until the job was done. They were organized, efficient, and protected the rest of the house well. Got both furnace and A/C installed the same day. Ernie was courteous, informative, and clearly knew his job better than anyone I’ve encountered before. The units look so good guests now get The Tour of our new system. Apollo is clearly not a fly-by-night company. I would recommend them to anyone in need of a new furnace and/or A/C."
- Jerry A.
"I called Apollo because of a water leak I thought I had in our upstairs shower going into the kitchen. Robbie came and assured me everything was fine & looked at all the other plumbing. He ended up changing a few pipes for our washer & clearing a drain. He was very nice & knowledgeable with all my questions. I ended up signing up for the care plan & was very happy with my service."
- Cassandra B.
"The team at Apollo exceeded my expectations. As a business owner, my attention to the details and commitment to providing excellent service is high. From the sales rep. to the installation team, everyone’s performance was outstanding. For example, the installation team went to great lengths to protect our floors, placing floor runners and across the wood floors and up the stairs. They even were spot washing walls upon their departure. I highly recommend this company."
- Randy B.
"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
- Sarah B.
"Apollo is an excellent company. I always receive great service. Alex A. was professional and friendly. He kept me informed during the process of checking my furnace and heat pump to make sure they were working properly. The company makes sure you are notified who is coming and when they are on the way. All my interactions with the company have been wonderful."
- Beverly S.
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