5 Things to Check on Your Roof Before Winter
Winter has a way of finding the things you forgot to fix.
A small crack becomes a leak. A loose shingle becomes a missing shingle. A gutter that was "probably fine" all summer suddenly has nowhere to send several inches of melting snow.
Your roof is designed to protect your home from all of it. But like anything else, it works better when you give it a little attention before the weather turns.
Before the first real freeze arrives, here are five things worth checking.
1. Take a Look at Your Shingles
You don't necessarily need to climb onto your roof to get a good idea of what's happening up there. In fact, unless you're trained and properly equipped, you shouldn't.
Start from the ground. Walk around your home and look for shingles that appear cracked, curled, buckled, or missing. You can also use binoculars to get a closer look.
Pay attention to areas that look noticeably different from the rest of the roof. Excessive granules in your gutters, bare-looking spots, or shingles that don't sit flat can all be signs that your roof needs attention.
A damaged shingle might not seem like a big deal in October. Add wind, rain, freezing temperatures, and snow to the equation, and it can become a very different problem.
2. Clean Out Your Gutters
Your gutters have one fairly simple job: move water away from your roof and your home.
Leaves, branches, and other debris can get in the way.
When gutters and downspouts are clogged, water has fewer places to go. During winter, that can contribute to ice buildup and ice dams, which can prevent melting snow from draining properly.
Before winter arrives, make sure your gutters are clear and your downspouts are allowing water to flow freely.
And if you're standing at the bottom of a ladder thinking, "I can probably reach that," remember that a gutter full of leaves is not worth a trip to the emergency room. If the job isn't safely accessible, call a professional.
3. Check the Flashing Around the Vulnerable Areas
Your roof isn't one giant uninterrupted surface.
It has chimneys. Vent pipes. Valleys. Dormers. Skylights. Anywhere the roof meets another surface is an area that needs extra protection.
That's where flashing comes in.
Flashing helps direct water away from these vulnerable points. If it becomes loose, damaged, rusted, or improperly sealed, water can find its way into places you really don't want it.
From the ground, look for anything that appears visibly damaged or out of place. If you notice a potential problem, have a professional take a closer look rather than climbing onto the roof yourself.
4. Don't Forget About the Attic
Your roof's story isn't told entirely from the outside.
If you have an accessible attic, take a look inside.
Check for dark stains, damp areas, visible signs of moisture, mold, or daylight coming through where it shouldn't. These can be signs of a roof leak or ventilation issue.
While you're there, think about temperature and airflow.
Proper attic ventilation helps regulate moisture and temperature within the roof system. During winter, balanced ventilation can also help reduce the conditions that contribute to ice dams.
In other words, your attic shouldn't be an afterthought. It's part of the roof system.
5. Look at the Roof Before the Weather Does
This might be the most important one.
If your roof has been showing signs of wear, don't wait for the first major snowstorm to find out how well it holds up.
Look for sagging areas, damaged shingles, deteriorating flashing, water stains, or anything else that doesn't look right. Routine inspections can help identify problems before they turn into more expensive interior damage.
And remember, you don't have to diagnose the problem yourself.
Sometimes the best thing a homeowner can do is notice that something looks wrong and have someone qualified take a closer look.
A Little Preparation Goes a Long Way
Your roof spends the winter doing exactly what you expect it to do: sitting above your head and protecting everything underneath it.
Most of the time, you don't think about it.
That's a good thing.
The goal of a pre-winter roof check isn't to give you another project to worry about. It's to catch the small things while they're still small, so you can head into winter with one less thing on your mind.
If you're unsure about the condition of your roof, a professional inspection can help you understand what you're actually dealing with and what, if anything, needs to be done.
At Lemus Remodeling, we believe good roofing starts with doing things the right way, before a small problem has the chance to become a big one. Contact us today to get started!
