Hello World! Welcome Friends! Is your home ready for winter? Perhaps more importantly, is your roof ready? If it isn’t, the cold weather, the strong winds, the snow and the ice that inevitably come with winter could cause serious damage to your roof.
If ever only a small portion of your roof crumbles, your entire home will be at risk of getting damaged as well. Preventing these damages will help you save a lot of money, and getting your roof inspected by professionals is a good way to ensure it will be ready to withstand the cold season. A flat roofing company will provide tremendous help with maintenance.
If you are not afraid to climb on your roof and are equipped to do certain tasks on your own, you can learn how to winterize your roof.
1. Inspect Your Roof
To properly inspect your roof, you will first need to climb on it to get a closer look. Once you are up there, you will have a few things to do. First, clean off any debris. Be sure to remove any dead leaves, tree branches, dirt, and other debris you see on your roof. This will help prevent damage, mould, and mildew under this debris as the temperature drops.
Next, look for damaged shingles. See if you can spot any cracked or missing roof shingles. If so, you need to have them replaced before winter to avoid leaks and more costly repairs.
Then, inspect the flashing and caulking. Flashing is the name of some metallic parts found on roofs, mostly around vents and chimneys. These metal parts help prevent leaks, so you should get them replaced if rusty, warped, or full of holes. You should also inspect your roof’s caulking to see if it has gotten damaged.
Finally, look for pest damage. As winter approaches, squirrels, raccoons, mice, bats, and other pests might be damaging your roof shingles or flashing while trying to find a warm place to nest. Check if some unwanted guests have damaged your roof.
2. Inspect Your Chimney
While you are on your roof, you should also inspect your chimney. If your chimney is obstructed by debris, it could cause a chimney fire, and you don’t want to have to deal with this issue. The best way to safely clean your chimney is to hire a professional chimney sweep to do it for you. However, you can inspect the exterior of your chimney on your own to see if anything needs to be repaired.
First, check if the crown of your chimney, which is the part at the top, is damaged. The chimney’s crown helps prevent water intrusion, so it needs to be in good shape. Next, check if your chimney flues still have their rain caps on. If they don’t, you will need to replace them.
Finally, check if the bricks that form your chimney are cracked or if some of the mortar between them is missing. Once again, if you notice some damage, you will need repairs.
3. Clean Your Gutters
Your roof’s gutter and downspout system has probably gathered a lot of dead leaves during the fall, and you should ideally remove them before it starts snowing.
If your gutters and downspouts are clogged with leaves, dirt and debris, the water will not be able to drain properly whenever some snow melts. And this water could damage your roof, create mould, or even flood your basement. You can hire a professional to clean your gutters, but if you want to do it yourself, you can flush them with a water hose until they are free of debris.
4. Trim Tree Branches That Hang Close to Your Roof
To winterize your roof, you also need to winterize the trees standing close to your house. If branches hanging near your roof, it could be a good idea to trim them.
You should also see if you notice any weak or damaged branches on a tree near your home, as these branches could break under the weight of ice and snow or during a powerful storm with strong winds. By carefully trimming branches before they fall on your roof, you can prevent cracked shingles and structural damage.
5. Check Your Attic and Insulate It Properly
Finally, you should get inside your attic to inspect and winterize it. A leak might be invisible when you are standing on your roof, but the water leaking might already have started to damage the structure of your attic.
When you are certain that there is no leak on your roof and no water damage in your attic, it’s time to insulate it if you haven’t done it already. Proper insulation of your attic will prevent heat loss, as well as the formation of icicles. Of course, you can hire professionals to insulate your attic for you while you focus on getting another area of your home ready for winter.
Click the links below for any posts you have missed:
Why Microcement Is the Best For DIY Home Renovation
Gutter Cleaning Is Better Left to a Professional
How to Take Care Of Ficus Lyrata
How an Adjustable Bed Can Help You Sleep Better
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Toodles,
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