subject: Is Your Roof Ready For The Winter Season? [print this page] Before the weather gets cold and the snow, sleet and icy winds begin to blow, check your roof to ensure that it will protect you throughout the winter. Not only will the roof help to keep you and your family warm and dry, but it will protect your belongings as well. A visual inspection can help; however, sometimes it is not possible to see potential problems.
Checking for holes or missing shingles, problems around vents, chimneys and skylights is one way of seeing if the roof is ready for winter. Problems with flashings - the metal used for waterproofing areas where sunroofs, vents and chimneys are installed - are common. This is often where leaks begin and when not corrected, these areas can decay and damage becomes more serious. Shingles can also become loose or they can buckle, which allows moisture to seep into the home.
Gutters that are blocked can cause roof damage. This is another area of the roof that needs to be inspected. If the roof has holes or seams that are not secure, this is the first place rain and snow will affect. The cold weather can make it worse. Because ice and rain expands when it freezes, it will make these areas larger and the cycle continues throughout the winter. Each time the ice melts it will fill the areas that are damaged and when it re-freezes, it will cause more damage.
Although the roof should be inspected periodically, before the onset of winter is one of the most important times for preventative maintenance. Also called winterization, preparing a roof for winter can mean the difference between a small repair and spending thousands of dollars or more to fix a problem that should have been taken care of long ago. While other parts of the home may be inspected regularly for problems, often people forget about the roof.
The best way to make certain a roof is up to par for winter is to schedule winterization by a professional. Because homeowners frequently do not know everything to look for, it is easy to overlook a potential problem. Before they know it winter weather can turn small repairs into the need to replace the entire roof and this does not include the damage that can occur inside the home.
Do not wait for a problem to develop that could be very expensive to repair. The roof should be inspected for problems regularly. This is especially true before the winter season begins.
