(file photo/paNOW Staff)

By Ronald Quaroni

Snow melt preparation

City and residents prepare for melting temperatures

Feb 27, 2020 | 1:56 PM

With temperatures projected to go well above zero degrees Celsius Friday afternoon, Prince Albert residents may want to take a few preventative measures to save their homes from any potential damage.

According to a local damage restoration business spokesperson, there are two things to keep in mind during a melt.

Home Defence

“First I would take walk around my property to ensure the snow is cleared away from the edges of the foundation [at least four feet]. Typically when we get this melt, the ground won’t be thawed out, so it won’t be able to receive any water,” Project Manager and Estimator with P.A.’s First General Services, Rob King told paNOW.

“There’s many spots where water can penetrate the house and because the soil can’t accept water yet. It will just find the path of least resistance, which unfortunately could be into your basement,” he said.

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The second most common issue King noted was ice dams on a home’s roof.

Water melts during the day but doesn’t drain. When it freezes at night it forms a ridge, which can collect moisture. Once it freezes it can allow water to get under your shingles, leading it to drip into your attic. Once water hits the insulation King noted it can cause interior problems to a house’s drywall, ceiling as well as exterior walls.

To mitigate the issue, King recommends safely removing the snow yourself or have a professional do it.

He noted, homeowners should also think about putting their downspouts down when weather warms drastically.

City Preparation

Prince Albert’s Operations Manager, Mohammad Kraishan, told paNOW crews are busy clearing snow in designated areas in advance of melting temperatures.

“We have a list of certain areas where we do remove snow. Places on the list have been identified to be problematic,” Kraishan said. “We’ve started removing the snow from multiple locations and also have removed snow from arterial roads. That’s in preparation of the snow melt.”

He noted crews are also ready to clear areas where water might pool.

“We do have our steam machines, to steam all the catch basins that we find plugged just to make sure the drainage and snow makes its way to the storm system,” Kraishan said.

He mentioned crews will keep an eye on the weather and adjust their plans according to weather conditions.

If residents notice problem areas of snow or drainage, Kraishan recommended calling the city’s public works department to report a problem.

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Ron.quaroni@jpbg.ca

Twitter: @RonaldQuaroni