What Winter Really Does to Homes in Fort Wayne with Brad Noll
Moving Fort Wayne · Episode 18
What Winter Really Does to Homes in Fort Wayne
with Brad Noll
Brad Noll walks through what a Midwest winter does to a house, drawing on a conversation with a home inspector who has seen thousands of homes across Northeast Indiana. He covers roofs, gutters, foundations, furnaces, seals, sump pumps, decks, and attics, with practical spring checks for anyone buying, selling, or staying put in Fort Wayne.
Key Takeaways
- Ice dams cause hidden roof leaks. Freeze and thaw cycles push water under shingles, and the leak may not show for months. Look for missing shingles, ceiling stains, and granules in the gutters.
- Keep water away from your foundation. Clogged gutters dump water right beside the house. Soil and landscape beds should slope away from the home, and mulch should not touch the siding.
- Not every foundation crack is a problem. Concrete cracks, Brad says, but larger cracks, small vertical cracks, basement water stains, and white powder on walls deserve attention early.
- Give your furnace a spring checkup. After months of nonstop work, check filters, humidifiers, venting pipes, and condensation lines, and consider a seasonal HVAC service plan.
- Protect the basement before it floods. Brad's sump pump failed during a winter thaw. A contractor told him to replace the motor every four or five years, and he recommends at least $25,000 in water backup coverage.
- Your attic is the home's health report. Moisture from vents cut off in the attic, mold, and bat droppings often show up there before anywhere else in the house.
Chapters
- 00:00Welcome and the inspector's one question
- 03:27Your roof works harder than you think
- 06:54Gutters, the overlooked system
- 08:42Midwest soil and foundation cracks
- 10:16Your furnace after a winter marathon
- 11:51Exterior seals, caulk, and weatherstripping
- 12:47Basement flooding, sump pumps, and insurance
- 14:01Decks and outdoor structures
- 15:21Drainage and the attic health report
- 18:00Becoming a confident homeowner
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What Winter Does to Fort Wayne Homes and What to Check This Spring
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