What Winter Does to Fort Wayne Homes and What to Check This Spring
Homeownership · From Moving Fort Wayne
What Winter Does to Fort Wayne Homes and What to Check This Spring
In Northeast Indiana, a single week can bring 75 degrees and humid, then freezing rain that turns to ice, then snow on the weekend, then sunshine again. On this episode of Moving Fort Wayne, Brad Noll explains what that kind of weather does to a house and how homeowners can catch small problems before they become expensive ones.
Brad built the episode around one question he put to a local home inspector who has inspected thousands of homes across Northeast Indiana: after a Midwest winter, what are the most common things homeowners have to maintain? The answer stuck with him. "He said the winter quietly tests every home in Northeast Indiana," Brad says. That means the roof, the gutters, the foundation, the plumbing, the heating system, and even the soil around the house.
Whether listeners are getting ready to sell, shopping for a home, or simply want to be confident owners, Brad walks through the list one system at a time, with a few honest stories from his own house along the way.
Start With the Roof and Gutters
"Your roof works harder than you think," Brad says. Snow on its own is rarely the problem. The trouble comes from the freeze and thaw cycle: snow melts during the day, refreezes overnight, and forms ice dams that push water back underneath the shingles. Homeowners sometimes do not notice the resulting leak until months later.
Brad suggests looking for missing shingles, water stains on ceilings, damp insulation in the attic, and excessive granular loss, the fine, sand-like grit that collects in gutters. In a two-story home, an upstairs bedroom window often gives a clear view down into the gutters. What he does not recommend is climbing up there. He tells the story of getting stuck on his own roof for about ten minutes because the ladder kept pushing away from the house, until a buddy riding by on his bike came over to help. "Don't be like me," he says. "Don't get on your roof if you don't have to." Roofers have the training and the special shoes for it, and Brad credits Graber Roofing for the new roof his family had put on this past year.
Gutters, Brad says, are one of the most overlooked systems in a home. Over the winter they collect ice, leaves, roof granules, and whatever else lands up there, including the occasional tennis ball or frisbee. When they clog and a hard rain hits, water spills over right beside the foundation instead of flowing away from the house.
“The most confident homeowners aren't the ones who know everything about construction.”
Brad Noll
Water, Soil, and Your Foundation
"Water should not sit by your foundation," Brad says, and it is a theme that runs through the whole episode. Homes with basements in Indiana are typically built with drain tiles that carry water to a sump pump, which pushes it back away from the house. That means most basements flood not because water comes through a wall, but because the sump pump goes out.
Midwest soil adds its own pressure. It expands and contracts as it freezes and thaws, pushing on foundation walls. Brad is quick to reassure listeners: "After 23 years in real estate, concrete cracks." Not every crack is a problem. The ones worth watching are larger cracks and small vertical cracks in foundation walls, along with water stains in the basement, gaps between the soil and the house, and a white powder on basement walls. All of them are signs that water has been interacting with the foundation, and most are very manageable if caught early.
Landscaping plays a part, too. Mulch piled too thick or too tall next to the house holds water in place. Beds should be graded away from the home, and mulch should never touch the vinyl siding. On the rainy morning of the recording, Brad noticed water collecting at the outer edge of his mulch beds, which is exactly where it should be.
Furnaces, Seals, and Sump Pumps
After months of nonstop work, Brad says your furnace "has just been through a winter marathon." Spring is the right time to give it, and the rest of the house, some attention. His practical tips:
- Check furnace filters, humidifier systems, venting pipes, and condensation lines, where small leaks can develop.
- Change filters more often if you have allergies, pets, or a remodel underway. After a remodel last year, Brad's family replaced theirs about once a month for six months.
- Consider scheduling filter deliveries online, a habit many of Brad's clients use.
- Sign up for a seasonal service plan with an HVAC company. It can save money and put you on a preferred list when something goes wrong.
- Look for cracked caulk, peeling paint, and small gaps around windows, doors, trim, and siding, and check the weatherstripping on entry and garage doors.
- Test the sump pump and review your water backup insurance coverage.
That last point comes from experience. Brad's basement flooded once, and it was in winter, not spring. About ten years ago, heavy snow melted while the family was out of town for a week. The water reached the sump pump just as designed, and the motor fried. He has heard that sump pump motors last eight to 12 years, and one contractor told him to simply replace it every four or five years.
He also urges homeowners to look closely at their insurance. Many agents set water backup coverage at $10,000, and Brad recommends going to at least $25,000, especially if there is furniture or anything you love in the basement. "It's going to cost more than $10,000 to replace that," he says.
Decks, Drainage, and the Attic
Wood decks absorb moisture all winter as snow sits, melts, and refreezes. Brad remembers shoveling his old wood deck so the dog could get out and feeling pieces chip off, then replacing boards every other year. This spring he suggests checking for loose railings and soft or rotting wood, tightening fasteners, and resealing. "You can get a couple more years of life on that sucker," he says.
Drainage was the inspector's final emphasis. With spring rain and melting snow, water is moving everywhere, so look for standing water, especially close to the house, and soil or landscape beds that slope toward the home instead of away from it.
Then there is the attic, which Brad calls "the health report of the house." Inspectors like to get into attics because problems often show up there first. Dryer or bathroom vents that were cut off inside the attic send steam into the space, and without a way to dry out, it can lead to mold on the sheathing. Bats looking for warmth can squeeze through tiny crevices and leave droppings that are hazardous. "If something went wrong this winter, usually you're going to find it in the attic first," Brad says.
What Should Fort Wayne Homeowners Check After Winter?
Brad's summary from his conversation with the inspector is reassuring. Homes around Northeast Indiana are built really well, he says, but they do require attention. "The most confident homeowners aren't the ones who know everything about construction," he says. The best ones simply pay attention to their homes season by season.
His spring reset is simple: walk around the house, look up, look down, check the basement, test the sump pump, and check the gutters. Anyone who bought a home recently can also revisit the inspection report, which often runs 30 to 60 pages and frequently includes seasonal maintenance tips.
As Brad likes to say, "preparation creates separation." Staying on top of small seasonal fixes keeps homeowners spending on minor maintenance instead of major repairs, and that is how they keep more money in their pocket whether they are buying, selling, or staying in their home for years.
▶ Listen to the full episode
What Winter Really Does to Homes in Fort Wayne with Brad Noll, on Moving Fort Wayne.
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