Winter can be brutal on your home's exterior, particularly your roof. Between ice dams and high winds that can blow shingles right off the roof, it can be difficult to deal with the severe damage to your roof while there is snow and ice on the shingles. Luckily, there are several things you can do to prevent damage to your roof before the first snowflakes fall. Here are a few tips to help you maintain your roof before and during winter to help prevent damage.
Trim the Trees Overhanging the Roof
The storms in winter can be devastating and if there are large branches or limbs hanging over your roof because one big gust of wind can cause these branches to fall and seriously damage the roof. Before winter begins, hire a professional to cut back any branches or limbs that could potentially fall on your roof. Don't forget to also cut down the branches hanging over any other structures on your property that could be damaged, including your garage.
Clean and Repair the Gutters
One of the biggest issues that many homeowners face in winter is ice dams, which occur when moisture seeps under the shingles and freezes, causing serious damage to your roof. The best way to prevent ice dams and maintain your roof prior to winter is clean and repair the gutters. Messy gutters do not allow water to efficiently drain from the gutters, which can lead to ice dams.
Consider Installing Heat Cables
If ice dams have been a problem in the past, heat cables might be the best way to combat ice dams this winter. As part of your winter roof maintenance this year, talk to a professional about having heat cables installed on your roof. These cables will not damage your shingles and instead, the cables will gently warm up when turned on and melt the snow on your roof.
In addition to preventing ice dams, the heating cables will keep the snow on your roof from piling up, which can also prevent damage to the shingles from the sheer weight of the snow.
Check For Any Damage to the Roofing System
Finally, the best way to maintain your roof this fall is to have the roofing system, including the flashings, vents, shingles, or metal roofing, inspected and potentially repaired by a professional. Even a minor issue can become a major problem, as the snow, ice, and wind can cause the problem to become worse.
From installing heat cables to scheduling a professional inspection, there are several things you can do to maintain your roof before winter.
For more information, contact a roofing company like Even Construction.
When you have something you like inside a jar, you probably put a lid on it — right? In a way, you can think of your house in the same manner. You like and value the items inside, along with the inside of the house itself. So, it only makes sense that you would protect the interior of your home with a lid. That lid is your roof.
Keep that perspective in mind as you read this blog. Learning more about roofing will feel more interesting if you remember what a roof does: it protects the inside of the home and the people who live in it.