Fall and winter can be tough on your roof. According to Aon, winter storms caused $15 billion in insurance losses in 2021. The temperature drops, the rain turns to snow, and the wind batters the shingles until they’re loose or broken. And those aren’t even the worst of it. All that damage can make your home much more vulnerable to leaks or other serious damage (especially if you don’t have adequate insulation).
So how do you protect your roof from harsh weather? By following these easy tips.
Clean Out Your Gutters
If you have gutters on your roof, it’s crucial to clean them out at least once a year. Luckily, cleaning your gutters is a simple task that you can do in just a few minutes. If you can’t reach the gutters from the ground or if they’re too high off of the ground, it may be necessary to bring in an expert to clean them for you. If this is the case, make sure that you hire someone recommended by friends or family members so that they will do good work on your property and won’t cause any damage while working on your home.
The frequency with which you should clean out your gutters depends on how much debris falls into them. If there’s very little debris in there (say during the summertime), it might not need cleaning more than once every two years or so. However, if there are lots of leaves and other items stuck in them all year round (like in early autumn), they should probably be cleared out more frequently.
Have Your Roof Inspected
It’s not a bad idea to get your roof inspected by a professional before the colder weather hits. A good roofer will tell you if there are any problems with your roofing materials or structure and can recommend solutions for any issues that arise. It would be best to find a roofer that displays real customer reviews because it shows they are honest. You can easily find good roofers online but go for the genuine ones. Before you start hunting for a roofer, it’s crucial to ensure they’re qualified and properly insured. Check with the Better Business Bureau (BBB) to see if there are any complaints against them. You don’t want to hire someone who doesn’t even have enough integrity to conduct business without conning their customers. If everything checks out okay, then schedule an appointment with the person who seems best suited for the job at hand.
Make Repairs and Installations Early
The longer you wait to make repairs, the more costly they’re likely to be. Not only that, but if you put off repairs too long and end up having to replace your entire roof, it will cost even more than if you’d just done the repair in the first place. If you want to save money on repairs or installations and get them done as quickly as possible while they’re still fresh in your mind, then make sure that these things happen early in fall and winter (or before summer ends). This way, when spring comes around again (and with it warmer weather), any jobs that need doing can be taken care of without any delays caused by bad weather conditions or busy schedules.
Make Sure Water Flows Away From Your Home
One of the first things you should do is ensure that water flows away from your home. It requires ensuring gutters are clean and unclogged, downspouts are draining as intended, and all roof drains are clean and unclogged. If you want to ensure that water flows away from your home, it’s crucial to keep the gutters clean at all times during the year, not just in autumn or winter. Gutters can fill up with leaves and debris in the summertime, but they can also collect snow in the winter months. Not only does clogging cause problems for drainage, but it also makes for an ugly look on top of your home’s exterior walls/roofline, where gutter systems might be visible through windows or doors. Plus, there could potentially be mold growing inside if not inspected regularly.
Seal Those Leaks
Leaks often cause water damage in your home and can be very costly to repair. It is especially true for older roofs. If you have an older roof, ensure to seal any leaky spots on your roof. If you notice a leak during a heavy rainstorm or after a big storm, it’s best to call someone professional as soon as possible so that they can assess the damage and fix it before more water gets into your home. If you suspect there may be leaks in your home but aren’t sure where they are coming from, start by checking all of your doors and windows for signs of moisture buildup or stains on the walls inside those rooms. Once you’ve identified which room has been affected by moisture seeping through its ceiling and walls, inspect the rest of this space thoroughly while also looking at other areas that could have caused similar problems. Check places like attics or crawl spaces to see if there may be any cracks around pipes or vents leading up toward the ceiling surface where mold could grow easily. It can happen over time without anyone noticing until it gets bad enough to become visible under normal lighting conditions.
Conclusion
As you can see, there’s a lot to consider when caring for your roof. We hope this article has provided some helpful information, from what you need to know about gutters and roofs, in general, all the way up to tips for keeping them safe during fall and winter. Now that you have some information about how best to care for your roof, we wish you all the best.
