3 Things to Do This Fall to Get Your Roof Ready for Winter
Once the leaves start to fall outside, you can be sure that winter will be here before we know it. In addition to the preparation you do on the inside of your house to make sure it’s ready for colder temperatures, one of the best things you can do as a homeowner is to inspect your roof as well.
The last thing you would do as a parent is send your child out in the cold with a coat that has holes in it. And your roof is like a winter coat for your house. When your roof is in great shape, it keeps you and your family warm and shielded from the snow all winter long. Let’s take a closer look at three specific ways you can prepare your roof for the winter.
1. Clean Out Your Gutters
Your rain gutters don’t just collect water, they also collect a lot of leaves, pine cones, acorns, and sticks during the fall. While you rake the leaves off of your lawn, don’t forget to clean out your gutters as well.
When your gutters are too full, extra moisture will remain on your roof, which could cause puddles to form and cause water damage. Typically all you have to do to clean out your gutters is just scoop everything out with your hands, but if they are really clogged, you may need some professional help.
While you are up on your roof cleaning out your rain gutters, try to pick up any leaves or debris that are on your shingles as well. Sometimes, leaves can get caked on your roof, which can lead to mold or rotting and eventual leaks.
2. Have Your Shingles Inspected
Have a roofer come out to your house and inspect your shingles, especially right before winter. While your roof may look good to you from afar, when a roofer gets up close, they can tell you just how strong it really is. When your roofer walks on your roof, they will be able to look for things like holes, leaks, torn off shingles, or anything else that could indicate a big problem.
Your roofer will also inspect the flashing, because that is where most leaks occur. If they find any problems, they can fix those problems before they get worse.
3. Look in Your Attic
Either you or your roofer can climb in your attic and make sure you have the right amount of insulation. You not only want to have enough insulation but you also want to make sure that it is distributed evenly throughout. Sometimes when too much insulation is in one spot, it prevents the heat inside of your home from escaping through the roof. When not enough insulation is in one spot, too much heat escapes
When your roof traps the heat, ice dams can occur outside when snow melts at one point of the roof where the heat escapes and then freezes when it reaches the point where no heat escapes. When you spread all of your attic’s insulation evenly throughout, you can keep your roof safe and save a lot of money on all of your energy bills this year.
Being stuck inside all winter long isn’t bad when you have a roof over your head and a nice fire burning in the fire place. But, if you have a leak in your roof, your picture-perfect winter may suddenly turn sour. To make sure that your winter is enjoyable, keep these three roofing tips in mind.
We want all of our customers to stay safe, dry, and comfortable through the holidays and well into the new year. For all of your roofing needs or to schedule an inspection, contact Ray’s Harford Home Improvement Contractors Inc.
