For Winter Weather, Don’t Forget Your Roof

Here in Jackson County and surrounding areas, we were enjoying unseasonably warm temperatures and fantastic weather, but now that the cold weather is here, it is important to do some preventative maintenance on your roof to prepare it to withstand winter.  According to El Nino, we are likely to be warmer than normal, but also more moisture, so having your roof in tip-top shape is important.
 Where do you start?  First, make sure your gutters are clean and drain well.  Most of the leaves are off the trees, and if you have trees overhang your roof they are also in your gutters.  It is critical that any water on your roof have a clear drainage path, and having gutters clean is critical to this drainage path.  This drainage path will also help alleviate ice dams, depending on how cold we may get.

While you are cleaning your gutters, check for missing or damaged shingles.  You can typically see missing shingles from the ground level, but there are areas of your roof that you can only properly observe from a higher vantage point.  If you have any trees that overhang the roof, the branches can contact the roof and this will cause damage to shingles.  Also any twigs or fallen or broken branches on your roof can potentially cause damage.  These branches should be trimmed, and any damaged roof shingles replaced.  Shingles have glue strips, and the unseasonably warm temperatures we are having will ensure your glue strips activate prior to winter’s cold.

And last, check your flashings.  Especially plumbing and vent stacks, as these flashings have a rubber seal to ensure the seal to the roof penetration is tight.  This rubber breaks down with ultraviolet (sun) exposure.  When the rubber breaks down, this will result in a roof leak.

If you don’t want to climb onto your roof, you can call a professional roofing contractor to provide this service as well.

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