With Coronavirus cases reaching over 12 million and death tolls rising to 262,711, it seems like winter in the northern hemisphere does not promise a cheery prospect. Apart from minding the health and safety of our family, we also need to prepare our home structure for the coming deep winter weather.
Preparing your roof is essential for it to withstand all the harsh winter elements that could potentially put your roof and home in danger and damages. Also, taking precautionary measures to ensure that you and your whole family will have a hassle-free, fun, and safe holiday season.
Check out these six essential roof maintenance tips:
Six Essential Roof Maintenance Tips for Winter Season
Gutters
Your rain gutters are an essential part of your roof structure. Having it checked, cleaned, and repaired helps you avoid a number of serious damages and problems in the long run. Although at any time of the year your gutters are prone to debris accumulation and clogging, this is more likely to happen during the winter season.
If the function of your gutters to carry down rainwater and melted snow from your roof is prevented, water might start to form a pool on your roof. Not only could this water pool formation lead to leaking and home interior damage, but it could also cause ice dam formation which could damage the structural integrity of your roof.
Roof Flashing
Roof flashing is essential to prevent leaking from your roof. Rainwater and melted snow sipping into cracks and small openings from your window could get in your home’s interior, causing several damages. The damp, wet wall inside your house serves as a breeding ground for termites and mold formation.
Before the first snow falls down this year, make sure you have done a thorough inspection of all the flashings. Ensure that it is in working order since the harsh winter weather is likely to cause your flashings to loosen up, corrode, and tear down. Consider calling a roofing expert to do this job for you.
Roof Shingles
Another part of your roof that is prone to wear and tear are your shingles, most particularly if your roof is older. Leaving your missing or loosened shingles unattended could lead to several problems that would be hard to address during the cold winter months since it is generally difficult to do outdoor repairs during this season.
One visible sign of loose singles is if you start finding granules of your shingles in your gutters. Another visible sign is when you find twigs, leaves, and other debris stuck beneath your shingles. These signs only indicate that your shingles need immediate replacement. Thus, make sure to contact your roofer before the first sign of snowfall.
Surrounding Tree Branches
Tall trees with branches hovering over your house is a lovely sight during warm seasons, but that is not the case when it is winter. Leaves and twigs hanging from these tree branches only add to the debris build up in your gutters and on your roof. Also, where the weather during winter is harsh, heavy tree limbs could fall off, causing significant damage to your roof and home structure.
Even if you clean up the debris during the latter part of the autumn season, leaves and twigs would continually fall during the winter. The best solution for this problem is to have these branches trimmed by a tree care expert. Doing this also helps prevent squirrels and other rodents from accessing your home’s attic, as they would look for warm shelter during the cold season.
Chimney
Many of us tend to disregard the chimney when we talk about roofing maintenance. However, ensuring that your chimney is in good condition is essential, especially that you would be using it more frequently and you would be spending more time indoors throughout the winter months. You would want to avoid any smoke suffocation or any damages due to fallen chimney bricks.
Thus, have your roofer do a deep-check on your chimney. Examine if there are any loose bricks or that chunks of mortar have fallen off. Since most roofing experts are not equipped with chimney repair, you might want to consider hiring a contractor to do the brickwork for you. Chimney repair is not something you could DIY unless you have the right skills for the job.
Attic and Ventilation
Taking care of your attic is also an essential part of winter roofing care and maintenance. If your attic is not well-insulated and not properly ventilated, the heat inside your home will escape through the tiny holes, openings, and cracks, allowing cold air in. Ice dams could also form when this cold air is trapped beneath your singles.
Furthermore, with no proper insulation and ventilation in your attic means wasting energy consumption. Hence, do a regular check-up of your attic to see if it is in good condition. Insulations should be evenly distributed and the ventilation system should adequately allow air to circulate. Have your roofing contractor check on this as well.
With proper roofing maintenance, you can ensure that your roof will last long and withstand any change in weather and climate condition.
