Wind, rain, ice, snow, hail—winter can be rough on your house. Everything from leaks to clogs can undermine the integrity of your roof and put you on the path to an expensive emergency roof repair job. No matter where you live, you’ll need to do some basic inspection and maintenance before the temperatures drop and the fireplaces start blazing. Here are a few things you can do to ensure that your roof is ready for the perils of winter.
A note of caution: It can be incredibly dangerous to inspect or repair your roof on your own. Even professionals struggle with the hazards they face every day. If you want to get the job done right, you should call an experienced roofing company for pre-winter maintenance.
Check Your Gutters – Autumn leaves are beautiful to behold. They can also damage your roof. That’s because foliage gets inside the gutters and clogs a home’s exterior drainage system. Twigs, leaves, needles, and other debris essentially prevent the gutters from doing their job—siphoning water away from the roof. By the time winter rolls around, those blocked passages can cause water to pool up on the surface, resulting in leaks and water damage. If you don’t clean the gutters out regularly, you’re setting yourself up for expensive repairs down the line.
Double-Check Your Gutters – Debris isn’t the only worry when it comes to your home’s gutters. If you haven’t bothered to check them in a while, they may be suffering from general maintenance problems. Over time, gutters come loose and lose their effectiveness. Unfastened pieces can also create leaks that spill onto your roof or your walls. In order to prevent costly damage, you should check to make sure all of your gutters are secure and fastened tightly.
Inspect Your Roof – Any number of roofing problems can complicate your life when the weather turns cold. Excess water can collect in the dips or valleys and cause water damage. Heavy debris can also pile up on top of the home, putting a great deal of strain on the roof. While it’s best not to inspect the roof on your own, you should call the professionals at Pfister Roofing to give it a thorough going-over.
Remove Ice Dams – Heat from inside your house, particularly from your attic, can rise up and melt the ice and snow that has collected on the roof. The stream that trickles down then freezes up again as it hits the cooler section near the edge of the roof. The resulting ice buildup at the rims creates a sort of dam that causes water to build up. If not handled quickly, that water may leak into your home. The best way to prevent ice dams from occurring in the first place is to insulate the attic so heat doesn’t make its way to the roof where it can melt the ice.
Schedule Routine Maintenance – Never underestimate the power of routine maintenance. By hiring a professional to examine your roof regularly, you can spot trouble spots and nip any problems in the bud. Whether you need copper roof maintenance, metal roof maintenance, tile roof repair, slate roof repair, or any other type of upkeep, the experienced workers at Pfister Roofing can inspect and repair your roof to ensure it’s in flawless shape for the coming winter.