Expert Tips to Help You Prepare Your Roof for Winter
Expert Tips to Help You Prepare Your Roof for Winter
Freezing temperatures and snow in winter pose significant risks to your roof and home. Preparing your roof for the winter months can help reduce damages and post-winter roofing repair costs. To keep your family safe and dry, make sure your roof can withstand winter’s lower temperatures, snow, and storms. Wheather you own a home or commercial property, expert winter roofing tips will help you protect your investment.
When should you prep your roof for winter?
Most homeowners are preoccupied with vacations and outdoor activities in the summer. Also, high summer tempatures can discourage anyone from venturing onto the roof. Fall is the best time to prep your roof.
In fall, counties in Maryland experience mild temperatures and low humidity. Prepare your roof for winter in September or the first week of October.
How to prepare your roof for winter?
The roof is your home’s first line of defense against harsh winter weather. Instead of waiting to fix costly damages, prep your roof to avoid winter roofing problems. Here are winter roofing tips to help you protect your residential or commercial property.
Tip 1: Clean your gutters
Gutters direct rainwater and melted snow away from your roof. However, they accumulate leaves, sticks, and other debris throughout the year. Clogged gutters may not handle heavy snowfall and storms in winter.
Debris accumlation can impede water flow, leading to leaks and water damage. Clean your gutters in the fall. At this time, most trees around your home have shed their leaves. Remove the debris in your gutters and fix any damages.
Tip 2: Fix roof leaks
Winter storms can turn minor roof leaks into floods. During roof inspections for leaks, focus on the most vulnerable areas and structures. Most roof leaks occur around the valleys, flashing, vents, and chimneys.
Inspect all high-risk areas for leaks looking for loose nails, gaps, and broken materials. Then, fix all detected roofing problems. DIY roof inspections can damage fragile sealing and worsen the situation further. The best strategy is to hire a certified roof inspection company like American Choice Exteriors.
Tip #3: Replace missing or broken shingles
Your roof depends on shingles for protection. However, this exterior layer experiences wear and tear over time due to prolonged exposure to the elements. Damaged shingles may not withstand the forces of running water and snowmelt in winter.
Inspecting and replacing shingles may seem straightforward. But it’s not. What are the signs of damaged shingles to be replaced? Do shingles need time to settle? Well, a professional roofer can answer all these questions for you. Hire an experienced local roof repair contractor to inspect and replace broken or missing shingles.
Tip 4: Trim low-hanging tree branches near your roof
Prepairing your roof for winter goes beyone your house. You’ll also need to trim tree branches hanging over your home. During winter storms, heavy tree limbs can crash into your home and damage your roof.
Trees dump their leaves on your roof, increasing the risk of clogged gutters. They also provide easy access to your attic for squirrels and raccoons. To eliminate these risks, trim low-hanging branches around your house.
Tip 5: Check and ensure proper ventilation
Poor ventilation in the attic increases moisture and heat buildup. Snow on top of the attic will melt. Then, running water will refreeze and create an ice dam at the edge of your roof. Ice dams increase the risk of leaks and roof damage due to their weight.
Heat buildup in the attic can increase roof shingles’ temperature, leading to curling. Ensure that your attic is insulated and ventilated to prevent the heat from reaching the roof.
Tip 6: Schedule a professional roof inspection
Most roofing problems are not visible to an untrained eye. The last thing you need is for undetected roof leaks to flood your home or commercial property in the middle of winter. Do roofers work in the winter? Yes, roofers can fix your roof in winter. They’ll use specialized roofing tools and materials like cold weather roofing adhesive and roof caulk. So, roof reapir in winter will cost more than average. To avoid costly roof repairs, seek professional roof inspection services. Roofing compaines like American Choice Exteriors offer all-inclusive services, including roof inspections and repairs. Whether you’re concerned about damage shingles, roof leaks, or poor ventilation, your inspcetor can find and fix all roofing problems. Professional roof inspections and repairs can help you prepare your roof for winter.
Bottom Line
Harsh winter weather poses significant risks. To minimize damages, prepare your roof for winter. Use these winter roofing tips to ensure your roof withstands storms, snow , and low temperatures. Hiring a roofing company can help your avoid costly roof repairs and protect your residential or commercial property all year round.
At American Choice Exteriors, we use state-of-the-art roofing technologies to inspect roofs of residential and commercial properties in Maryland. If you own property in Howard, Montgomery, Pringe George’s, Frederick, Baltimore, Anne Arundel, Carroll,or Harford County, you can rely on our expertise to prepare your roof for winter. Call us today at 301.687.2345 or schedule online to set up your free roof inspection.
