Your roof ensures your safety and comfort. Undoubtedly, it is a crucial part of your home.
Additionally, your roof represents 40 percent of the visible exterior of a house. Therefore, it has a significant impact on the home’s curb appeal.
So, the importance of your roof is clear. But, it is also important to remember that it might suffer damage, especially during the winter.
That’s why you will learn here how to prepare your property for the coming winter with some simple winterization measures.
Advantages of Making Your Roof More Winter-Proof
How prepared is your roof for winter weather? Winter’s ice and snow mean additional dangers for a roof already in poor condition. However, you may protect yourself from these threats by winterizing your roof.
Not only will this prolong the life of your roof. It will also help you save money!
Some advantages of winterizing your roof include:
· Prevent leaks
Winter rain can damage your roof, even if it is rare during winter months. Sagging gutters and missing shingles can cause significant water damage. Likewise, snow or ice storms might cause issues. To avoid winter roof leaks, contact a professional roofing company for an inspection before winter.
· Save money
Ignoring minor roofing concerns might lead to costly ones. Pay attention to small issues, even if most roofs don’t fail completely. Preventing promptly these little issues is a wise choice since fixing serious ones is expensive.
Most homeowners tend to ignore these issues:
· Visible underlayment
· Broken flashing
· Missing shingles
· Unsealed skylights, vents, and chimneys
· Save energy
Does your winter heating bills have increased? Even if winter energy bills are higher, you may be paying more than you should.
Winterizing roofs has numerous considerations. Uninsulated or poorly insulated attics will release more heat. So, you will spend a lot on heat, which you can avoid.
Again, a roofing specialist should evaluate your roof to identify roofing issues.
· Protect your gutters
People do not know gutters are critical. But your roof’s health depends on them. Before winter, the gutters collect sticks and leaves. They may even become the home of mice and squirrels.
If you don’t clean your gutters before winter, ice and snow will pile up and weigh them down. Problems like this may cause grave water damage to your roof and home’s exterior walls and foundation.
Before winter, check and clean gutters. As you can see, this is crucial! Winter is a harsh season, and the worst to replace or repair a roof. Thus, act quickly before winter.
How to Winterize Your Roof
We already know why roof winterizing is necessary. Let’s see now how to winterize your roof by applying these tips.
· Clean gutters and downspouts:
Falling leaves fill gutters in the fall. But, that is not the only issue you will face. Wasp, bat, and other animal nests cause bug infestations and blockage.
To prevent roof damage, clean your gutters and downspouts of these issues. Consider installing gutter guards, which will make debris removal easier.
· Remove overhanging branches:
Your yard’s trees might contribute to gutter debris buildup, mainly those whose branches can reach your roof. Besides, winter snowfall adds weight to these branches, which might damage your roof. Hence, before winter, trim overhanging tree branches.
· Attic Insulation:
Before winter, you must insulate your attic. Insulation reduces heat loss and boosts energy efficiency. This measure will keep your shingles cooler, reducing the chances of ice dam formation.
Your home’s attic should meet your region’s R-value, which represents the material’s heat loss resistance. Don’t you know your region’s roofing R-value? Consult a local roofing service company.
· Check the flashing and caulking:
Check the roof flashing before winter. This metal strip covers vents, skylights, and chimney joints to divert water from some areas of the house.
· Look for damage inside:
On the other hand, you should consider your home’s interiors. For example, a weight ceiling indicates a chronic roof issue. It is necessary to fix any problem before winter.
Roofing companies Alabama specialize in various services to meet the unique needs of homeowners and businesses in the state's diverse climate. These companies offer a wide range of roofing solutions, including installation, repair, and maintenance of traditional shingle roofs, metal roofs, and flat roofing systems.
Have a Professional Inspect Your Roof Before Winter
Watkins Construction & Roofing can provide you with the help you need. You can get in touch with us by calling us at 251-299-8151. We service areas in Gulf Shores, Spanish Fort, Foley, Fairhope, Robertsdale, and Orange Beach, AL.