Winter in New England brings some beautiful snowy trees, picturesque landscapes, and an overall quintessential winter experience.
That being said, it also brings average temperatures that hover in the mid- to low-twenties, strong winter storms, and annual snowfall that ranges from 28 inches to over six and a half feet.
This means that there are plenty of chances for your roof to be damaged or affected this winter. Whether it’s wind, snow, or cold weather, your roof takes the brunt of the New England winter force.
That’s why it’s so important to follow a winter roofing maintenance schedule that lets you quickly and efficiently fix problems, repair damage, and prevent damage from occurring in the first place.
Here, we’re going over 5 essential winter roofing tips so you can get started on your roof maintenance.
1. Inspect Your Roof Consistently
With other pressing matters taking up your time, it’s easy for the roof to be overlooked. However, roof maintenance starts and ends with inspection.
Make it a part of your weekly routine to take a walk around your home to check for any obvious damage. Look for debris, missing shingles, damaged gutters, ice dams, areas that are sagging, and anything else that looks off. This will help you get on top of problems before they result in legitimate damage to your roof and your home.
You should also consider a professional roof inspection at least once per winter. Professionals will be able to identify any areas of the roof that aren’t structurally sound or areas that could result in big problems during a cold and harsh season. They can also make repair recommendations so you can know what needs to be fixed now (before that first big storm hits) and what can wait until the weather breaks.
2. Remove Snow and Debris After Storms
During your roofing inspection, ask the professional how much snow your roof can handle. Some roofs are able to handle more snowfall than others, which is important to know before a blizzard hits.
However, even if your roof can handle some snow, you should do your best to remove excess snow and debris that ends up on the roof throughout the winter.
Why? A few reasons.
Ice Dams
First of all, as the snow melts, it can form an ice dam. Ice dams can cause a lot of damage to both your roof and your home, so it’s important to do what you can to prevent them from forming. Removing the snow from the roof will help to prevent those ice dams before they have a chance to form.
Weight
Another reason to remove snow is that it’s heavy. Snow can weigh a whopping 18 pounds per cubic foot once it settles in one place. This combined with the weight of debris and ice (about 5 pounds/inch) means that your roof could be supporting a huge amount of weight; for a 100-square foot roof, that’s almost an entire ton!
This can lead to leaks, cracks, and, in the worst case, collapse. Removing snow and ice before it settles (or forms) on your roof could be the key to preventing those types of winter roofing damages.
Melt and Refreeze Cycle
A third reason you need to remove snow from your roof during the winter is to prevent leaks and cracks.
As snow melts, it can seep under your shingles, and into small cracks and crevices of the home. When it refreezes as temperatures drop and fluctuate, it expands. This can lead to larger cracks, loose shingles, leaks, and more. Removing the snow from your roof can prevent this kind of damage.
3. Repair or Replace Damaged Shingles ASAP
You might’ve noticed that we’ve mentioned damaged shingles are a big problem for winter roofing a few times in this article. Shingles are particularly vulnerable during the winter months. Between wind damage, snow, ice, debris, and other winter roofing factors, shingles can become lifted, damaged, or come off completely.
Any type of damage to shingles during the winter can lead to a few issues, including:
- Water damage
- Further shingle damage
- Mold growth
- Increased energy bills
- Leaks
- Ceiling and wall damage
This topic is so important that we dedicated an entire article to the subject. Learn more about damaged and missing roof shingles on our blog.
4. Clean Your Gutters
The job of your gutters is to collect precipitation runoff and siphon it away from your roof and home. This helps to prevent accumulation, water damage, and more.
However, the very thing that makes them helpful can also lead to problems if you’re not careful. Snow and ice can easily accumulate in gutters (as it’s supposed to). But, it can also easily clog your gutters.
Gutters clogged with snow, ice, debris, leaves, sticks, and more won’t be able to take that precipitation away, which can lead to water damage, ice dam formation, and more.
Gutters clogged with ice and snow will also start to get very heavy. If that ice, snow, and debris isn’t cleaned out, it could result in your gutters breaking away from your home… or breaking altogether.
Gutter and roof cleaning need to be at the top of your winter roofing maintenance plan.
5. Don’t Neglect the Attic
You might be thinking to yourself, “What does my attic have to do with my roof?”
Well, the answer is a lot.
First, check your attic’s ventilation. Proper insulation allows for better temperature distribution for your roof, which can help prevent ice dams from forming.
The same principle applies to your attic’s insulation. Proper insulation in the attic can prevent ice dam formation, not to mention that it can reduce your energy bills and keep your home warmer.
Inspecting your attic often and throughout the winter is an often neglected winter roofing practice. Attics are often the first place you’ll notice leaks, cracks or trouble with your roof since it’s the closest in proximity to your roof. If you notice leaks or issues in the attic, you might want to have a roofing professional come to see if it’s connected to a roofing issue.
5 Winter Roofing Tips to Get You Through
One key thing we haven’t mentioned yet is to get started on these winter roofing tips as soon as possible. Even before deep winter hits, it’s good to start preparing and thinking about your winter roofing maintenance.
Farina Roofing can help you tackle this list. We can provide roof inspection, roof repairs, and general advice. After many, many winters in Arlington, we’re definitely winter roofing experts.
Contact us for more information or to schedule a consult.