Winter is fast approaching. As a homeowner, you’ve got many winter preps to guarantee the safety of your family and property. From checking your home’s heating system, carbon monoxide detectors to buying winter tires for your ride, you are ready for the winter.
But wait, did you just forget about protecting your roof for winter? Most people will carry out all winter preps on their checklist but sideline the roof. However, if the roof is not in good condition during the winter, it compromises the safety of your home.
A well-protected roof will insulate your home against sleet, snow, cold drafts, and other frosty precipitation. Winter roof maintenance is thus imperative to keep your home cozy and warm during extreme temperatures.
So, how are you supposed to achieve this? Read more to learn five practical winter roof protection tips.
1. Inspect and Clean Your Gutters
Your gutters are invaluable when it comes to protecting your home against water damage.
During winter, gutters collect leaves and debris and bear the extra weight of ice and snow. This can cause the gutter to detach and fall, causing water damage to your property. To shun this, ensure your gutters are cleaned, tightly fitted, and secured before winter.
2. Remove Debris From the Roof
Over time, the roof accumulates dirt, leaves, and other debris. The debris holds moisture, and when it combines with winter precipitation, it can cause mold. Also, the leaves and dirt on the roof could be washed to your gutters, clogging them.
This could escalate the impending damage during winter. If you can’t remove the debris yourself, hire a roofing contractor to prep your roof for the winter.
3. Trim Trees Around Your Home
During the winter months, you expect heavy storms, winds, and hails. These harsh elements can become hazardous to your roof if there are near tree branches. Apart from accumulating leaves on your roof, tree branches can fall off due to storms and winds crashing your roof extensively.
This could expose your property to more damage and would break the bank to repair. Ensure that all the trees near your home are trimmed. This prevents these avoidable and costly damages from happening.
4. Inspect Your Shingles
After cleaning the roof, check for missing, fractured, or cracked shingles. Weak or damaged shingles could deteriorate during winter resulting in leakages and other roof issues. These could further progress to extensive roof damage requiring roof replacement in the future.
To avoid this, ensure the shingles are inspected, and issues detected handled before the winter.
5. Inspect Your Roof’s Edges
During winter, ice dams can cause structural damage to the roof, shortening its lifespan. By installing a ventilation system, you protect the roof’s edge from damage.
The ventilation system prevents the formation of ice dams. Also, consider installing flashing around the roof edges for enhanced protection.
Protecting Your Roof Will Become Easy With These Tips
Inspecting and preparing your roof for winter is key to keeping your home safe and protected against elements. Proactive roof maintenance tips ensure the roof can withstand the harsh winter weather.
The above tips will get you started in protecting your roof for the winter.
Are you looking for a roofing contractor to help with winter preps in Colorado? Columbine Roofing got you covered. We pride ourselves on many years of experience, and dedication to helping our clients with any roofing problem.