It is no secret that the winter season is right around the corner. As a home or business owner, it is important to understand the basics of the effects Winter weather can have on the life of a roof. This blog post aims to inform you, the reader, on 5 of the biggest impacts it can have.
Ice Damage
As snowmelt accumulates and runs down your roof, ice can build up on the eaves. This damming effect has the power to block your gutters, which will block running water from finding a trail off of your roof. This has a domino effect of causing other types of roof storm damage.
Similar to melting snow, any water trapped on your roof as the result of Ice Damage will continuously freeze and thaw, creating weak spots on your roof. (As well as exposing any pre-existing problem areas on your roof.) Furthermore, this accumulation of water can lead to your drywall, ceilings, floors, and other areas to then suffer heavy water damage. This is an ideal environment for mold and mildew to appear, which cause more issues than just damage to your home.
Hail
As uncommon as it is, hail is one of the biggest sources of high-costing roof damage. Insurance companies have different protocols for assessing hail damage.
Since it is a heavy substance flying out of the sky and crashing down on your home, hail can crack metal or ceramic roofing tiles, and leave holes and other damages to wooden or asphalt shingles. Although hail is more likely to damage any glass windows surrounding your home, if it manages to damage your roof it is imperative to have trusted roofers inspect your roof as soon as possible to prevent structural decline of the building.
Water Damage
Like the aforementioned Ice Damage, freezing rain can cause disastrous damages to your roof. As it falls in liquid form, your roof has no way of protecting itself from the rain to reach it. This is universal across slanted and flat roofs. As a precursor to Ice Damage, freezing rain accumulate on your roof in weak areas and enter into the home through improperly installed or failing shingles. This can cause extensive home damage by reaching electrical wiring, as well as lead to creating the ideal environment for mold and mildew to grow.
Snow Damage
Obvious as it is that a heavy amount of snow on your roof is troubling, even a few inches of it can lead to a plethora of issues. Moreover, this is especially problematic if your home’s roof is flat, or low sloped enough in a way that snow cannot easily make it’s way off of the roof.
Since your home is assumingly being heated to keep you warm, the snow on the roof is then melted by the heat circulating in your home. Consequently, Water Damage is then at play and any scenarios previously mentioned are a possibility.
It is worth mentioning that a homeowner should not attempt to clean snow off of their roof. Setting aside the dangers of climbing on a snow-covered roof, using a shovel to push snow off of the roof can cause damage to shingles and other roofing materials. Using rock salt or calcium chloride is also potentially harmful to shingles, and this damage to the roof can even void any warranty currently on the home’s roof.
Wind Damage
Heavy winds, which are common amidst the winter season, can have a detrimental effect on the life of a roof. Wind can cause shingles to be torn off, loosened or weakened, and broken apart. Strong winds also have the power to damage other properties of the roof, such as the flashing, ridges, and rakes, as these are exposed to the wind stream.
One protection from Wind Damage is to invest in a high-quality shingle with a warranty on wind damage. This will be a fail safe in case any resulting damages are incurred from the winter season.
Another way to prepare is to have a trusted roofer inspect your roof, and fix and assess any problem areas on your roof before the season hits. (Pro Roofers Inc can provide a free, no-obligation roof inspection for anyone in need of it.)
Finally, another line of defense in preparation for Wind Damage is to have a tree-trimming service remove any over-hanging or dead branches from your roof that could break off and cause damage.
