Introduction

‘Winter Is Coming’

– A phase, probably, more famous than the show itself.

Can you relate this to your home maintenance? Winter is one of the toughest times for people living in winter-prone regions.

Perhaps the last line of defense against your winter weather is your roof. It is responsible for protecting your house from top to bottom. So before the cold winter arrives, be sure to have a healthy roof prepared for the task.

Fall is the best time to examine your roof before the winter limits your repair effort. It is advisable to clean out your gutter before examining the roof. This will give you a better idea of the roof’s current condition.

However, it is not easy to find where your roof needs repairs. To ensure everything goes smoothly, you must seek professional help. This offers you trained hands to carefully examine the roof.

While we are talking about roof repair and replacement, do not forget that winter is the time of Christmas. You would want to have a healthy roof that can sustain the weight of lighting and all the other decorations.

What Is Roof Maintenance?

Roof maintenance is the periodic checking of the roof to find the vulnerable areas that could be susceptible to having a problem. This process can be done depending on the type of house – it would be annually, biannually, quarterly.

When you call for local roof contractors to check your roof, they check certain things right away.

  • Check the piece for any cracks and wear.
  • Remove any debris from the roof, gutter, and valleys.
  • Inspect the roof for animal intrusion.
  • Checking for any opening or cracks.
  • Inspect ventilation for properly working fans and turbines.

The complete laundry list of roof maintenance can just go on and on…..To know more about rooftop maintenance, visit https://www.loaconstruction.com/.

Roof Maintenance Tips For Winter

Did you know that the average cost of replacing the roof is $8000? A roof is damaged the most in winter.

If you are not careful enough, you might have to repair it after every winter. Harsh winter elements make the roofs more vulnerable to damages and leaks.

Hence, you need to take extra care of your roof before the winter to survive through it.

Here are a few tips that will help you maintain a healthy roof.

1. Repair Damaged Shingles

You might take loose or damaged Shingles lightly. After all, what can a single damaged shingle do? Well, this is where you are wrong. Leaving even a single loose or damaged Shingle on the roof can expose your home to leakage.

If there are a few damaged shingles, they are easy to replace or repair. However, leaving them unattended can exponentially increase the repair cost.

2. Replace Old Caulking

When winter comes, you must pay close attention to caulking. During winter, things shrink, and caulking is one of them. When caulking shrinks, there is a possibility of them being separated or cracked.

Hence, replacing your caulking before the winter ensures that they remain in place and support the roof.

3. Get Your Roof Rake Ready

Winter means snowfall, and snowfall means several inches of snow on your rooftop. Although snow might feel light, it can really be dense and heavy if they are layered together. This can increase the load on your roof, exposing the roof to damage.

Having a roof rake can really come in handy. A roof rake is a simple snow removal tool to prevent snow from piling up on your roof.

4. Repair Damaged Flashing

Roof flashing is one of the most overlooked aspects of roof maintenance. However, roof flashing is important if you really want your roof to live a long life.

Roof flashing protects your home from any water damages and ensures that there is no water clogging on the roof.

5. Add A Heat Cable

When winter comes, one common occurrence affects almost every house – Ice Dams. Ice Dam is the phenomenon where all your pipelines, gutters, and roofs where water can clog freeze. This jams the entire thing.

Adding heat cables in the gutters and downspouts can ensure ice damming is the last on your worry list.

6. Upgrade Insulation

Insulation is important to ensure extra cold remains outside and is ineffective on the inside. While we are already discussing roof maintenance, checking for roof insulation can be a great idea.

7. Clean Gutters

While gutters and downspouts might not be part of your roof, the cleaning team will certainly improve your roof’s health. If ice accumulates in the gutter, it can form eaves. This result in ice dams

Ice dams can block the roof drainage system and initiate the freeze-thaw cycle. This cycle separates the singles from the roof decks.

8. Remediate Wind Damage

Perhaps the wind is the last thing people think about in winter. However, wind can be as detrimental as ice and snow, especially during a major storm.

Double-check your roof for any sign of wind damage and repair any spot that seems damaged or has missing shingles.

9. Don’t Forget Your Attic

The homeowners most often neglect the roof attic, and it’s too late when they realize it needs work. As you know, your attic is responsible for proper ventilation; you must pay extra care rather than just looking into the matter when the damage is already done.

10. Trim Out Tree Branches

Trimming the trees around your roof is a must-have task for Millers Tree Care Tampa to keep your roof damage-free. Sometimes, three branches of the nearby tree grow enough to touch the roof.

As long as it is barely touching the roof, there is no harm in that. But the moment you leave them unnoticed, they outgrow their boundaries, severely damaging the roof.

Hire A Professional Inspector

Sometimes letting the professionals do the roof maintenance will ensure everything goes alright and give you the peace of one. A professional can scan your entire roof from one edge to another and carefully look into the leakage issues.

Sure, there are a few roof maintenance tips that you can do for yourself. But, having professionals do the same thing will certainly show the difference.

Practice Active Roof Maintenance!