The days are getting cooler, football is back on TV, and the kids are already asking for help with their Halloween costumes. You’re ready for fall, but what about your roof? Fall is the perfect season for roof maintenance. What you do with your roof in the fall can make or break the longevity of your roof and gutters. Here are four tips for getting your roof ready for winter.
Gutters
Once the trees stop dropping hundreds of leaves in your gutters every day, it’s time to get them ready for winter. If you’re able, hop up on a ladder with a pair of dishwashing gloves. Use a hose to pull all the leaves out of the gutter.
If you’ve invested in new gutters with gutter covers, this should make it easier to catch leaves. If you don’t feel comfortable on a ladder, there are plenty of tools available for cleaning your gutters from the ground. These tools could scratch the coating if you’ve invested in faux copper gutters, so be careful. Or, for the best service, contact a roofing company in Boston to inspect your gutters and clean them professionally.
Chimney Maintenance
Chimneys are not only a roof vulnerability; they can lead to house fires. For that reason, it’s important to keep an eye on your chimney. Make sure to bring a professional in to clean your chimney and stove pipe. You should also inspect the flashing around your chimney for any potential weak points.
Skylights
The flashing around skylights can be a problem area for many homes in the fall. Visually inspect your skylights from inside your home. If you’re able, get up on a ladder to look for leaks and feel for drafts. Contact a Boston roofing company and have them fix the flashing externally. This is a job for a professional, as it requires climbing on roofs.
Roofing in the Fall – Check for Roof Damage Before it Gets Cold
Roofing in Boston is tough because the winters can provide some terrible conditions. Therefore, it’s very important to perform roof maintenance before the season ends. In the fall, survey your roof, paying extra close attention to any loose shingles or buckling. Even if the roof isn’t leaking yet, the stress of snow on the roof coupled with faulty shingling could lead to leaks. If these happen during the winter, they are much more difficult to fix.
Poor roof maintenance can lead to costly and difficult mid-winter repair projects. Fortunately, you can avoid these projects if you give your roof some love in the fall while it is still easy to see and maintain. Inspect your roof and contact a specialist when you need to so you can spend a cozy winter in your home.