Winter is coming and it is time to prepare your home for the cold. But how do you do that? One area that requires specific attention is your roof. Your roof protects your home and helps to keep the cold out, and you need it to be in the best shape possible before the snow starts to fall. In this post we will be looking at the best ways to prepare your roof for winter.
Clean Your Gutters
First things first: clean out and ready your gutters. It’s easier to spot problems this way, and you will be able to tell if your system is functional or not. It may be best to hire a professional to inspect your roof and gutters, as they will be able to easily see what needs fixing and what doesn’t. Or if you want to take the DIY approach, pour water down your gutters and see where it goes. Does it empty into the drain with ease? If not, you may have a clog or other problem.
Watch for Ice Dam Formation
Second, prepare for ice dams. An ice dam is a big hunk of ice that forms when the snow melts and water pools on your roof. This water can even leak into your house if it is backed up. So how do you fix it? Well, there needs to be ventilation. You need to keep the underside of your roof at the same temperature as the surface side so that the ice doesn’t melt. You can do this by creating a channel along the edges of your roof right underneath the shingles.
Get a “Roof Checkup”
Third, get your roof a checkup. Here you need to hire a professional if you are not one yourself. It is a smart investment to get regular checkups for your roof. Just like your health, a roof can deteriorate with age and problems may not be so obvious to the layman’s eye.
Determine the Next Step
Fourth, decide if you need replacement or a roof repair. Your roof may be perfectly good-and that is excellent news. Perhaps you recently had it redone. But if you haven’t, it should be easy to decide if you need a replacement or just a repair after your winterizing checkup. Sometimes you don’t need to scrap the whole thing, and minor repairs may be something you can do yourself.
Check Your Attic
Fifth, check out your attic insulation. If properly done, it will have good ventilation and still work to keep the warmth inside so you spend less on utility costs. It will also help regulate the temperature of your roof to assist in preventing those ice dams we talked about earlier.
Be Critter Free!
Finally, keep those pests out! Animals like raccoons and squirrels are often tempted to make nice cozy nests inside a good looking roof. This causes damage to the roof that can even extend to your structure. Even mice and birds are unwelcome guests for a healthy roof.
Still Not Sure? Call Your Local Roofing Professional
These six things give us a good starting point for making sure your roof is ready for winter. Investing the money it will take is much less hassle and a lot warmer than having to replace a roof in the cold weather. If you come across a situation that we did not cover or you do not feel comfortable making the call on your own, hire a local Boise roofing contractor to give your roof a thorough inspection. You can then relax knowing you are in as good a shape as possible!