Harsh winter weather is stressful to everyone. What we do in turn is to just stay indoors during days of bad weather. But we are always forgetting that winter is also stressful to something very important to us, something that protects us from the bad weather itself. Yup I’m talking about the roof over our heads. Ensuring that your roof is ready for the season is critical, especially if you live in an area with harsh winter weather. Why so? Snow accumulation, ice dams, and strong winds can all cause damage to the roof which can then result to minor leaks or major damages that can cost thousands to repair. Worst, the damages themselves may expose you and your family to the snow and strong winds, possibly endangering your life too.
A lot of you will say, my roof looks fine, it doesn’t need to be replaced, or how bad can winter be? Know that your roof may not appear to have any problems now before snowfall but weak spots, invisible cracks, and weathered surfaces are all susceptible to damage under the weight of snow.
It is possible to identify many of the common problems with your roof on your own. However, hiring a qualified roofing contractor is the best way to go if you want to have a complete assessment of the roof on your home. Here now are DIY suggestions on how to prepare your roof for winter before a minor problem becomes a major wintertime disaster:
- Look for any loose, missing, and damaged shingles and replace them
- Add extensions to your spouts to send the melting ice and snow farther away from the base of your home.
- Check the flashing around the chimneys or other roof projections, which prevents melting ice and snow from getting into your home.
- Monitor your roof from the indoors. Check your attic or roof space for areas that are sagging, as well as water damages and leaks.
- Clean the leaves and debris out of your gutters
- Install leaf guards on the gutters to prevent more falling leaves from accumulating and undoing your hard work.
Low quality roofs and roofs that have not been replaced for over 20 years have a greater likelihood of receiving great damage from weather effects. So, we suggest to have these assessed by a roofing contractor before winter comes because they will be usually busiest during winter. In addition, it also takes longer to get roof repair projects done during this season because of the number of damaged roofs around the neighborhood. If there’s one thing this article is telling you, it’s preventive maintenance will go a long way.
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