Tips for Preparing Your Roof for the Winter Months

As winter draws near, many home owner panic because of seemingly damaging effects of winter times on their roof. However, some homeowners wisely prepare themselves for the challenge of winter months. As you know, your house’s roof is one of the more prone areas as far as damage is concerned. Therefore, it is important that you not only have quality roofing over your head, but also you must make adequate preparation for winter by carrying out certain essential tasks and repairs. Whatever you do to prepare your roof for the winter will ensure that the roof remains in good condition throughout the period.

Preparing roof for winter can be challenging, especially if you do not know what specific steps you should take. Many homeowners struggle with this aspect, but this piece will give you valuable tips that will help you to take adequate charge of your roof preparation for the winter.

Conduct a Thorough Check: You may need to climb over your roof or have someone do it for you. You need to carry out checks on the roof to see if there is any penetration on the roof such as vent pipes, pitch pockets, and pipe boots. You need to check the chimney flashings, brick and mortar joints for any defect so that quick repair can be carried out on them before winter.

Create Flag for Low Curbs: This is important to do before snow begins. Make flag of any low curbs that is less than 10 feet tall. The reason is because during the time snow is being removed, any obscure curb will be damaged. By flagging the curb, damage to it will be prevented.

Clear Out the Gutter: You should make sure that the gutters are cleaned. Anny debris should be cleared so that rainwater and melting snow can freely pass. The landscaping, and even the house, can be damaged if the gutters are clogged.

Check the Condition of Downspouts: For melting snow to drain properly from the roof, you should check for any debris that could damage the downspouts. If the downspouts are not free from debris, it can cause rusting inside the pipe.

Trim Tree Branches: If you have got tree branches hanging over your roof, you need to cut or trim them before rain and snow start. This is important because when snow starts, the weight of the falling snow increase quickly and the branch can fall on your roof, damaging it.

Check and Repair Base Flashing: You should also check your flashing and counter flashing attachments to see if they are in good condition. This is because when snow starts accumulating on the roof and over the flashings, it can cause the roof to leak.

The above are essential tips to help you prepare for winter. In addition to them, you should have some thick brush brooms available to remove ice or Snow as quickly as needed. You should create an easy way to access your roof during this time to make necessary removal of ice and snow.