Winter’s heavy snowfalls and icy winds can wreak havoc on your roof and can cause clogged gutters. If you haven’t taken steps to prepare your roof for the upcoming cold season, do so in the fall. Here are things you can do to get your roof ready for winter:
Clean and Stabilize Your Open Gutters
Your gutters are some of the most important structures on your roof. During spring and summer, leaves and other debris can fall into your gutters and clog them up. Rain can make the debris damp and soggy, which attracts insects and other pests, and can weigh down your gutters. Combined with the heavy weight of snow and ice, your gutters can loosen up, collapse, or break.
Damaged or clogged gutters can allow ice dams to develop on your roof. Moisture and water can penetrate your unprotected roof and cause problems for your home’s attic, walls, ceilings, and other structures. If your gutters sit low enough around your roof’s edge, use a water hose or extension tool to clear out your gutters. Allow the debris to flow toward your downspouts during the cleaning. If nothing falls out of the downspouts, you may need to remove and clean them as well or contact a company like Emmons Roofing & Siding that can clean or replace your gutters for you. After you take care of your gutters and downspouts, be sure to check your roof for problems.
Secure Your Roof’s Shingles
Your roof’s shingles can experience some problems during the warmer months of spring and summer. Your shingles can take a beating from summer’s heat. Spring can expose your shingles to unexpected rain showers and high winds. Over time, your shingles can lose granules, fade, or fall off your roof, which exposes the underlying structures of your roof to ice and snow in the winter.
Using a small pair of binoculars, inspect the surfaces of your roof. Look for shingles that lift or peel away from the roof’s foundation. Or better yet, to avoid the risk of falling and injury on your roof, contact a roofing contractor to inspect your roof. If your roof shows signs of problems, you should get it repaired or replaced. Even a few missing shingles can cause significant damage to your roof over the winter by allowing moisture to penetrate the roof.
If you need assistance with your roof and gutters, contact Emmons Roofing & Siding today. Getting a head start on your roof’s problems now can help save you time, money, and headaches later.
