7 Roof Maintenance Tips to Prepare Your Roof for Winter

When you think of winter you probably think of how beautiful the snow is. While snow can paint a lovely landscape, it can also do some serious damage to your roof. You have to prepare your roof for this weather or else you’ll have some issues when the spring and summer come back around.

Your roof keeps you safe from the elements, but it can’t do its job if you don’t do your job and maintain it properly. To help you out, here are seven roof maintenance tips to get you through the winter.

1. Remove Snow Quickly

Snow on your roof is like the cherry on top of the perfect postcard winter scene. The problem is if you leave it for too long, it can damage your roof. It doesn’t look like it, but snow and ice are actually heavy. If your roof is weak in any areas you risk the snow finishing the job.

The snow and ice will melt during the day but when the cold sets in at night, the ice will refreeze and block off your gutters. This will Eventually, create a blockage so the melted ice won’t run off the roof properly. The end results will be broken shingles or worse.

If you don’t trust yourself with this task, that’s understandable. A snowy roof is fairly slippery so for your own safety you might want to hire a team to come out and clean the snow off for you.

2. Repair Your Flashing

When you first start taking a look at all of your wintertime roof weak points, check your flashing first. Properly installed flashing can through any weather for a while, but it does become warped and prone to breakage eventually.

If you do find any faults with your flashing you’ll want to get it fixed up right away. If not, snow and ice can easily leak into your roof and cause flooding in your interior.

This doesn’t end with the flashing, you need to check your shingles too. Broken shingles need to be replaced right away or they can cause the same issue.

3. Take Care of Wind Damage

When you think of the winter you probably associate it with snow and ice. These are the biggest players in roof damage but a big winter storm is also going to contain a lot of wind.

If you have any broken shingles the wind that comes with winter storms can make the issue even worse. You’ll need to prepare your roof for it or it will be vulnerable to leaks. These vulnerable areas will allow for things like mold and mildew to move in which can cause even more damage.

4. Check Your Attic Ventilation

The performance of your roof is actually related to the performance of your attic. This is because if your attic ventilation is off, it can cause ice to build up on your roof and expose it to all the winter elements.

Before winter arrives, go in your attic and make sure the ventilation is working properly. You’ll need the air circulating as efficiently as possible if you want your roof to stay protected throughout the winter months.

5. Clear Out Debris

When the weatherman first starts whispering rumors of a winter storm, you want to go out and clean all the debris off your roof, even small things like pine needles. This will ensure that if a winter storm does come strolling in, the snow and ice won’t have as much to grip on to.

Debris like sticks and leaves will absorb moisture from the snow and eventually rot. This rot can cause leaks and other damage. Use a rake or broom to knock the debris off your roof and keep it clean year round.

6. Maintain Trees Around the Area

Trees that are heavy with snow can be a hazard for your roof, and home in general. If they aren’t maintained you risk the limbs coming off and falling onto your roof. Trees that are leaning around your home also risk falling over.

During the cold months, pests like squirrels and raccoons like to take refuge in warm areas. Tree branches are the perfect bridge into your attic. To avoid a rouge branch coming into contact with your home or a pest making their way inside, maintain and trim the branches of the trees around it.

7. Bring in a Professional

There are many tasks on this list that you can do yourself, but if you want to be thoroughly ready for the winter season, it might be best for you to hire a professional to come out and perform an inspection. They know what to look for so they will notice anything that you have missed. They can also do any of the big work that you can’t do.

By having professionals come out you ensure that your roof will be 100% ready to go for the winter, and give yourself a little peace of mind.

Roof Maintenance Tips to Protect Your Roof This Winter Season

The winter season is no joke if you live in an area that sees a lot of snowfall. Winter storms can take a tow on your roof and cause breakages that lead to leaks. Use these roof maintenance tips so you can sit back and enjoy the holidays, snow and all.

Are you ready to have your roof inspected in time for the harsh winter? Contact us today to schedule your inspection.

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