As any longtime homeowner can confirm, winter can be a difficult season for roofing. This is particularly true for people who hail from parts of the country known for harsh wintertime weather. If left unattended throughout a harsh, snowy winter, the average room is susceptible to hole formation, bending and various other forms of damage. In addition to making roofing ineffective at shielding your home from the elements, excessive roof damage also stands to negatively impact the value of your home. That being the case, keeping your home’s roof safe throughout the icy-cold winter season should be among the top priorities of every homeowner.
Have Your Roof Professionally Inspected
Anyone looking to take a proactive approach against roof damage should have their roofing inspected at least once a year. Throughout the course of their inspection, a seasoned roofing contractor will be able to spot, diagnose and repair a wide assortment of issues. Furthermore, they’ll be able to remedy small problems before they have a chance to become much larger – and much costlier. For best results, have your roof inspected by a licensed pro right before winter arrives and right after it passes. This will ensure that your home enters and exits winter with a fully intact roof. If you’ve yet to acquaint yourself with a dependable roofing service, simply hop on to the web and search for “roofing companies near me”.
Keep Your Gutters Clean and Intact
Although many of us view gutter maintenance as its own specific area of property upkeep, it’s also vital to keeping your roof in prime condition. Your gutters play an integral role in collecting water and depositing it a safe distance from your home’s foundation. When they become clogged due to leaf buildup, excessive snow and other elements, your gutters – and your roof – can become prime areas for standing water. This, in turn, can result in the formation of mold and/or mildew.
As such, make a point of keeping your gutters clear of debris and draining properly. Since gutter cleaning typically involves the use of ladders, homeowners who have issues with heights or balance should probably outsource this job to roofing professionals. While it’s true that this will require you to spend a little money, this minor expense stands to save you big bucks in roofing and gutter repairs down the line.
Promptly Replace Damaged or Missing Shingles
The ravages of winter can do quite a number on even the most resilient roofing shingles. So, if your roof has been through a fair number of winters, there’s a good chance some of its shingles have become damaged or are missing altogether. In addition to being an aesthetic eyesore, damaged and missing shingles can pave the way for much costlier problems. When a shingle breaks apart or simply goes missing, an opening for moisture is created. Once enough moisture has accumulated, the onset of mold and/or mildew is practically guaranteed to follow. Not only can the formation of mold and mildew impact your roof itself – it can also infiltrate your attic, as well as other areas of your home. You can nip shingle issues in the bud by calling in a dependable roofer whenever you notice that a shingle has incurred damage or vanished entirely.
Remove Excess Snow
If your locale is prone to heavy snowfall, your roof is at risk of being weighed down and infiltrated by moisture buildup. You can help prevent such problems by removing excess snow from your roofing following periods of extreme weather A high-quality roof rake can be an invaluable tool in this endeavor. When shopping around for the right rake, look for one that enables you to comfortably scrape snow off your rooftop while standing on the ground.
If you live in an area that regularly receives harsh winter weather, cold weather roofing maintenance should be among your most important priorities. In addition to facilitating various short-term problems, roofing damage can compromise your home’s structural integrity in extreme circumstances. As is the case with other types of home maintenance, the longer you neglect the upkeep of your roof, the more serious the consequences are liable to be. To help keep your home’s roof in peak condition throughout the winter season, simply put the previously discussed tips into practice.