Prepping Your Composite Roof for Winter Weather
Grab a sweatshirt, ladder and work gloves — it’s time to get your roof ready for the cold weather ahead.
Before frigid winter weather arrives, make sure to spend time cleaning out your gutters, checking downspouts and evaluating the condition of your roof. If you experienced roof hail damage over the spring or summer months, you should also have a roofing professional evaluate the condition of your roof before the snow starts to fall. You especially need assistance from a professional if you have steep slope roofing that can make it dangerous to work on the roof yourself.
As you’re checking out your roof, the experts at DaVinci Roofscapes recommend you make sure your snow guards are firmly in place and clear of debris. If you don’t have snow guards and have experienced strong snowfall in the past, now is the time to have them retrofitted to your roof — especially if you have composite roofing. (See Let It Snow… And Keep The Snow On Your Roof for tip)
Snowguards are strategically placed on your roof, so that when the snow melts, it melts more evenly. That way, it doesn’t have the opportunity to bind together and create an avalanche falling all at one time on your landscaping or around entry doors of the home. Sloped roofs are particularly susceptible to these types of avalanches and require special consideration in states that are known to have heavy snowstorms and ice dams. When snow guards are in place on polymer roofing, it’s less likely that you’ll have problems with ice or snow falling on people or property.
Once you’re done with your outside roof evaluation, go indoors. Head for the attic to make certain there are no visible signs of leaks from summer storms. While there, check out your insulation. Homes with superior attic insulation help reduce energy bills. And, importantly, proper attic insulation and ventilation in the house are proven solutions that can be implemented to help prevent ice dams from forming on your roof and creating problems.
For more tips to prepare your home for the upcoming winter months, see Prevent Common Cold Weather Roof Issues.