The roof of your home is one of its most important features because it protects all of the building’s interior structures along with your possessions. Harsh winter weather conditions can damage a roof severely, but there are ways to keep your home safe during this season. While you might think that a home’s roof isn’t important, if you fail to care for the structure, then you are likely to have major problems with the rest of your home. The water from a leaky roof can drip slowly into a home’s walls, causing electrical problems.
1: Have Your Roof Inspected By Professional Roofers
Professional roofers understand how to inspect a rooftop to find problems that require repair. A roofer will notice small amounts of damage that you can repair immediately rather than waiting until the problems get worse. After the inspection, a roofer will provide a written list of the required repairs along with an estimate of the cost of the services.
2: Trim the Trees on Your Property
“If you have large trees on your property, then trim the branches to keep the items from dangling on your home’s rooftop,” said Absolute Home Solutions, Inc. In addition, inspect the trunks of the trees carefully to make sure that the plants are healthy. Old or decaying trees are more likely to fall during the winter when there are windy conditions.
3: Contact a Chimney Sweep
When you have a fireplace and a chimney inside your home, it is imperative to call a chimney sweep for assistance once a year. A chimney sweep will inspect a fireplace and chimney to make sure that the items are in optimal condition. If you have a fireplace or chimney that is filled with creosote or debris, then your home’s roof might incur damage from sparks or smoke.
4: Clean Your Home’s Rain Gutters and Downspouts
Make sure to remove leaves and other debris from your home’s rain gutters and downspouts to ensure that rainwater and snowmelt runs through the devices. When water is not able to flow quickly from a home’s roof, it will remain on the surface, leading to rotting materials. If you clean your home’s gutters in the autumn, then the devices will usually work correctly until late spring.
5: Add Water-resistant Sealants to Your Home’s Roof
If your geographic region receives a lot of rain, ice and snow, then an application of water-resistant sealants on your roof can help to prevent leaks. Substances such as rubber or silicone help to protect your home’s roofing materials. When moisture is able to seep through the top layer of a home’s roof, it continues to flow into the interior materials, leading to severe damage.
6: Remove Heavy Snow and Ice from a Roof
Most rooftops slope enough for heavy snow and ice to flow from the surfaces, but if your home has a lot of thick ice or snow on its surface, then it requires removal. You may need to use specialized tools to brush the ice and snow from the roof, or you can call a roofer to complete the task by using a bucket truck and other equipment.
7: Prevent Ice Dams on a Rooftop
If your home’s rooftop develops ice dams, then you can install heating devices. Ice dams form underneath the snow toward the edges of a roof, leading to icicles that are hanging above the entranceway of a home. Not only can this ice damage the roof’s eaves, but also, the icicles can drop on you. You can install heaters or electrical cables on a roof to avoid having ice dams.
8: Replace Damaged Roofing Materials
When your home’s roof has damage such as missing shingles or underlying layers, make sure to have the materials replaced. Waterproofing layers and thick shingles keep moisture from seeping into the wooden structure of your home. If snow or rain leaks into the underlying roofing materials, then it can damage a home’s drywall and electrical wiring. You can replace damaged roofing materials in the spring, summer or autumn on your own, or you can contact a professional roofer to complete the job.
