Winter Roof Maintenance

When it comes to winter home maintenance, there are a number of things that come to mind. Of course, the first areas that come to mind for most homeowners are your windows and doors, which are prone to drafts and can reduce your home’s energy efficiency. However, even more important than your windows & doors is your roof, which functions as your home’s primary line of defense against the elements. This means that performing a bit of maintenance during & leading up to the snowfall, can help keep your home protected all winter long! If you’re interested in learning a bit about the roof maintenance you should be performing this winter, keeping reading below!

Ventilation

Since we’ve covered ice dams in previous blogs, we’ll briefly mention that ensuring your roof & attic have proper ventilation is the key to preventing this oftentimes damaging maintenance concern. By keeping your attic’s temperature consistent with the outdoors, you will be able to limit the snowmelt, and prevent ice dams from forming.

Have Your Roof Inspected

Before the snow begins to fall, it is a very good idea to have your roof inspected to ensure that the system is in good repair! If there are any issues with your roofing system, they will be exposed during the winter, when moisture has the opportunity to lay on your roof for extended periods of time and potentially seep into the roofing system. By having a roofing professional come to examine the system, you can ensure that your roof is in good repair before the snowfall begins, helping to keep your home protected from the elements.

Clear Debris & Snow

Another piece of roofing maintenance you should be keeping track of is ensuring that your roof is kept clean of debris, as well as excess snowfall.

Organic debris, such as leaves, sticks, branches, and other natural material, can hold moisture on your roof, which can potentially cause rot and other water damage. It’s a good idea to remove this debris before the snowfall, as it will reduce the amount of moisture on the roof, and help the shingles dry faster.

Additionally, if there is a large amount of snow accumulating on your roof, it is a good idea to brush the snow off to help keep your roof protected. Having too much snow on your roof can hurt your roof deck & shingles by weighing on them and causing boards to break. This is a greater concern on slate roofs, where the weight of the shingles is already significantly higher than that of asphalt shingles.

Contact Us Today

If you’re interested in replacing the roof on your Maine home this winter, our team at Oceanside Exteriors is ready to assist! Reach out to our team today by calling us at (207) 310-7659 or by filling out our team’s online contact form! We look forward to hearing from you and assisting with your roofing needs!