Winter weather can put a home through its paces. The excess of rain, snow, ice and wind can cause damage to even the strongest of homes. It’s impossible to really know what weather will cause the most wear and tear on your home, which is why it’s important to keep an eye out for damage, especially to your roof.
When damage occurs on your roof, a minor issue can quickly grow into something more severe, so it’s essential to have these issues fixed immediately. Here are some of the most critical roof repairs that should be fixed as soon as possible.
When in Doubt, Hire a Roofer
If you’re a particularly handy person, you may think you can handle some repairs yourself, but to avoid causing more damage, it’s often best to get help from knowledgeable and experienced roofers. Not to mention, winter is a particularly dangerous time to be attempting roof repairs without proper knowledge of safety procedures and methods. If you’re unsure whether you need to call a professional about a problem, it’s usually the best idea to go ahead and make the call. When it comes to your roof, it’s better to be safe than sorry. This will help prevent minor issues from becoming significant, dangerous, or costly problems later on. Contacting the professional roofers will ensure your roof is in good condition and stop minor issues from spiralling out of control.
Broken or Missing Shingles
Periodically looking at your roof from the ground using binoculars is an excellent idea to inspect the condition of your roof. Doing this will help you notice if you have missing or broken shingles. If you do, this is a minor problem that can be fixed immediately to prevent further damage. Getting them fixed will prevent melting snow from seeping into your roofing system.
Ice Dams
Ice dams are one of the most common causes of damage to roofs. They are formed when snow melts, runs downwards and then freezes again as it hits the colder edges of the roof and can cause significant damage. You might think those icicles look pretty, but in addition to being dangerous to anyone passing underneath, they can cause severe problems with your home. When ice dams form, water can back up underneath the shingles, causing damage to walls and roof structures. You could find water stains on your ceiling or walls, indicating more severe levels of damage.
Damage from Trees
This might seem obvious, but if a tree branch falls or a tree collapses on your roof, this is a problem to be addressed immediately. Prevention is the best option to ensure this problem doesn’t occur. Still, even if you make sure trees around your home are properly trimmed, a severe storm can cause unforeseen tree damage to your roof, in which case a professional should be called to deal with the damage immediately.
When roofing problems arise in winter, it’s vital to deal with them right away to stop them in their tracks rather than letting them become a significant source of stress for you to deal with later on.
