If you live in Colorado you might be looking forward to winter, but the roof that protects your home might need some attention before the snow begins to fly. The coming months could possibly bring weather events that might compromise the stability of your roof, so while you are able to, schedule a roof inspection to make sure the roof is in good shape. Or if you prefer, do some of the work yourself. It helps to be proactive so you can rest assured that you are preventing expensive roof repairs from occurring.
Gutters Are Often Neglected
In one of our past blogs we discussed how to assess damage or problems with water flow with your gutters. There are many signs to determine if you have damaged gutters, so look for water damage to and around your home. If you find your gutters not properly flowing water away from your house, then it may be time to inspect more closely.
Remove Debris Before Winter
Remove roof debris and pay attention to trees and foliage that need trimming. Remember that homeowners do not need to go up on the roof, there are professionals that can closely inspect shingles and dislodge debris. Priority Restoration provides free roof inspections. An inspection is a good time to locate loose shingles that might need patching, best to complete this before the first snow of the season.
Have a Chimney?
This is the perfect time to also schedule cleaning your chimney. As the weather gets frosty the using a fireplace can add some much needed cozy heat to the home interior. But the outside needs attention every year and a cleaning should be scheduled annually. This is perfect time to determine if any unwanted critters have taken up residence.
From this article published in House Beautiful Lifestyles, it suggests that both the NFPA and Spisto recommend getting your chimney cleaned and inspected once a year by a qualified professional. That should be added to your roof checklist when thinking about winterizing your home.
It’s also a good idea for a professional to inspect and clean your furnace to make sure it’s in tip top shape. Also, have enough filters on hand to refresh them monthly throughout the winter.
Insulating The Attic
One more important step in protecting the roof throughout winter, is to insulate and ventilate the attic. A small snow fall of even two to three inches can create an ice jam when heat escapes, which can damage the foundation of your roof. Installing insulation on the plywood or drywall of your attic will ensure that areas where heat can escape are sealed. Paying attention to ventilation will also
help prevent snow from refreezing and causing moisture damage.
Its good to double check that the attic has adequate insulation so you won’t be wasting money on energy on heating over the winter.
Test or Install Smoke and Carbon Monoxide Detectors
This is a perfect time to check all smoke and carbon monoxide detectors and ensure everything is in working order and up to code. Carbon monoxide detectors should be within 15 feet of all bedrooms and near the furnace. Before winter blows in be sure to have extra batteries on hand in case the beeping of a low battery wakes you during the night.
This time of year, brings along with it a busy holiday season, so winterizing your roof may not be the most exciting part of fall, but it can save you lots of time and money down the road. By taking simple, precautionary measures, you can protect the entire home from the damages of wind, snow, and ice this winter.
*Image by JamesDeMers from Pixabay