From marvelous snow to heartwarming fireplaces, winter brings along quite a few charming treats with it each year. But for many homeowners, it also carries various challenges of cold weather that are fit to disrupt their roofing state.
If you go through the same daunting phase every year, it is important to learn how to prepare a roof for winter. This not only helps you keep your family safe from the weather, but also allows you to protect your property from forces of nature.
To support you through this process, here are winter roof preparation tips that make the colder season easier on you and your home.
Remember Professionals Are Standing By to Help with Ice Dams and Attic Insulation
If you are looking for help with ice dams, roof leaks, and proper attic ventilation, remember that our team at Hot Edge is there for you. We understand the various aspects that can go wrong when the cold weather arrives and ensure to help out with our various solutions.
Our ice dam solutions are there to ensure that you can mitigate serious damage and the need for winter repairs on your property.
We have helped various clients with our melt solutions and we know that we can help you as well.
In addition to working with our professionals, we also suggest conducting a fall roof checkup and having a professional roof assessment. The right roof contractor will account for roof valleys, roof cleaning, loose gutters, gutter guards, and more.
If you have any questions or concerns about roof melt solutions, always reach out to a professional at HotEdge. Now, let’s take a look at the various tips and suggestions we have to ensure you are ready for winter weather.
Check the Roof’s Flashing
The flashing or thin metal plates that are placed around the chimney, valleys, and walls of your roof keep excess water from seeping into your home. When snow piles up over your roof and starts melting after a while, any weak spots in your flashing can lead to water leakage into your home.
In order to steer clear of this problem, make it a point to check the flashing on your roof. If you see any of these plates being loose, corroded, or rusted, immediately have them repaired or replaced. This ensures that your roof doesn’t fall prey to this tricky problem.
Inspect Missing Shingles
If your roof is made from wood or composite shingles, you may often run into the problem of missing or broken shingles. This issue is most prominent after a storm. But it can also occur over time due to the roof’s age. Whatever the reason might be, missing shingles in winter can cause your roof’s defense to weaken and lead to severe roof damage.
While learning how to prepare the roof for winter, inspect your missing shingles before winter takes its hold. This allows you to identify any spots in your roof where shingles aren’t covering its underlayment. By quickly replacing missing shingles, you can prevent problems such as sagging or leaking roofs.
Clean Gutters and Downspout
If your roof’s gutters and downspout are blocked by stray leaves, broken branches, and other debris, any melted snow water from your roof may simply stand in place. Besides weighing down your gutter, it may also lead to leaks as well as gutter, roof, and wall damage. As one of the easiest yet most important winter roof preparation tips, you should clean your gutters and downspout before winter.
While you stand up on a ladder to clean your roof’s gutter and downspout of debris, ensure that you are being careful in order to avoid accidents. Once the gutters are clean, you can ensure that any melted snow water flows down the roof without causing any problems.
Look for Sagging Areas
If your roof is old or if it has sustained some damage over recent years, you need to be extra careful about its overall strength. Even if your roof hasn’t started showing any signs of internal leakage, it might be going through the initial stages of damage by displaying sagging spots.
In case you can see an area of your roof sinking towards the attic or the lower floor, take immediate action to repair the damage. This can often salvage your roof and save you from sky-high repair costs. But even when the damage is extensive, finding it as you learn how to prepare a roof for winter can save you from widespread harm.
Clean Debris From the Roof
If you don’t clean your roof regularly, you may have a buildup of debris such as tree leaves and branches all over your roof material. This is especially true for neighborhoods that are rich in fall foliage. If this debris gets mixed in with piles of snow, it can cause extensive damage to your roof.
To ensure that you can prevent such damage, make it a habit to clean your roof regularly, but follow the practice, especially as a part of your winter roof preparation tips. This makes sure that a small step of care goes a long way towards the protection of your roof.
Get Professional Roof Inspection
In order to ensure that you leave no stone unturned in the protection of your roof, get a professional roof inspection just before winter comes knocking. During this inspection, experienced roofing experts can go through each item on the checklist of how to prepare a roof for the winter season. Afterward, you can also have necessary repairs and restorations done right away.
At HotEdge, our team of seasoned roofing professionals specializes in winterizing your roof and associated components before the chilly season makes itself known. This allows you to protect your home and family from the devastating effects of extreme cold.
To schedule your inspection or discuss your inquiries, don’t hesitate to contact us for a free quote today. We will be glad to understand your concerns and move forward with resolving them for you right away.
