10 Tricks to Help Prevent Roof Damage This Winter
Preventing roof damage to keep your family comfortable and secure all winter long is easier than it looks. Today’s homeowners don’t even need to get on their roofs to take necessary precautions. Here are ten timely tips to prevent roof damage as temperatures drop.
1. Clean and Repair Your Gutters
First of all, the gutter and drain system along the edge of your roof helps collect water and deposit it away from your home’s foundation. Clogs lead to standing water in your gutters and on the top of your roof. When this happens, mildew and mold won’t be far behind. Worse? Initial forecasts show temperatures might drop below freezing this winter, leaving that water to turn to ice.
2. Remove Debris from the Roof
Litter on the roof of your home is an accident waiting to happen. Even small objects tossed around by the wind can crack or dislodge shingles. Stacks of wet leaves can lead to mold. Errant nuts or berries entice pests. At the end of the fall season, it’s important to clear the roof of potential problems. Just make sure you do so safely. Roof-related falls are among the most dangerous, for professionals and for homeowners.
3. Treat Mildew and Mold
Have your shingles taken on a green, yellow, or black shine? You could have a moss, algae, mildew, or mold problem. These can damage your shingles and the sheathing underneath, as well as produce a nasty odor. Talk to your roofer about the safest, most effective products on the market for wiping out invasive growth.
4. Schedule a Professional Inspection
Walking around on the roof is risky for safety reasons, but can also lead to unintended roof damage. Roofing companies can now use drones to get exact measurements and observe shingles and areas of specific concerns up close without putting you or your home at risk.
5. Patch Broken or Missing Shingles
In addition, replacing broken or missing shingles prevents moisture from leaking into your attic and damaging the rest of your house. By the time you notice the signs from indoors, you might need several thousand dollars in repairs. Keep bills low with a thorough fall inspection and preventive maintenance.
6. Reseal Around Piping, Skylights, and Other Fixtures
Every puncture made in your roof, whether to install a satellite or vent an appliance, introduces the potential for water to enter your home. There are several products capable of keeping moisture out. Depending on the materials you use, they might need regular touch-ups. Damaged flashing and other materials might require replacement. Fall is the right time to reseal these puncture points and keep water from seeping indoors and causing havoc.
7. Practice Sensible Pest Control
The lovely trees bring fall colors, but they can also bring pest problems, including squirrels, bats, mice, and rats looking for a warm place to live once winter temperatures set in. Once they find a way inside, they chew apart your roofing material to make the entryway larger, and they can also destroy insulation and wiring, cause moisture damage, and introduce bad smells and bacteria by way of their food and droppings. All entry points should be sufficiently covered or repaired in fall to safeguard your home against these unwanted visitors.
8. Trim the Trees Hanging Over and Near Your Roof
Similarly, after the storms of summer, dropping temperatures and winter winds can knock loose branches free. In turn, these can break shingles and even damage your roof. Prevent problems by having your trees trimmed before cold weather sets in.
9. Improve Interior Insulation
Sometimes roofs aren’t damaged from the outside. Instead, condensation from below rots beams and supports that keep your home stable. Make sure you do an interior inspection every fall to prevent interior moisture from causing a problem.
10. Check Your Siding for Signs of Damage
Finally, whenever siding has a problem, it can affect your roof — and vice versa! During a roofing inspection, give your siding a quick once-over to make sure panels and soffits are securely in place.
Let us help you prevent roof damage
Every minute and dollar you invest in keeping your roof safe protects your home from damage. The typical roof leak costs $400 – $1,100 to fix, but that doesn’t include replacing water damaged ceilings, insulation, electrical wiring, and other elements inside your home. Unfortunately, a simple leak can wind up costing thousands in damage.
Winter roof preparation also keeps your family comfortable, healthy, and safe while increasing the energy efficiency of your home. And, an intact roof lets you enjoy lower bills and keep drafts and dangerous pests at bay.
So, prevent roof damage and all that goes with it this winter with these 10 tips.
Dan Zeiler
dan@zeiler.com
877-597-5900 x134