The leaves are changing. It’s time for warmer beverages, soup, and sweatshirts. As the coziness of Fall sets in all around us, one of the last things that might come to mind is our roofs. However, we all know what follows Fall, and it can be the most damaging season to houses the world over.
With Winter’s drop in temperature comes risks of all kinds to the structures we call home. The infiltration of moisture becomes doubly dangerous because of freezing and melting. The tiniest leak in a residential roof can become a rather large one, as it becomes ice, expanding the gaps of any insecurity.
Luckily for homeowners, there are plenty of ways to get your roof ready for Winter. Here are a few simple fixes that you can hire a roofing specialist to take care of, or even do yourself.
Replace Damaged Shingles
If you decide to do some of these repairs yourself, safety is paramount. When working on a shingle roof in Atlanta, bring a partner whenever possible, use hardy gloves, boots with good traction, and wear a hard hat. Now that you’re all geared up, let’s talk about one of the easiest ways to ensure your roof is in top condition for Winter, replacing shingles.
There are a number of things that can damage the shingles of your roof. Strong winds might peel up a corner, or a tree branch might have been thrown at them during a storm. The first thing to do, after prying up the damaged shingle, is inspect the extent of the damage. An unfortunate possibility, whenever pulling up part of a home, is discovering deeper issues. If there is a profuse amount of water beneath your shingles, you may be looking at a more complicated repair.
Assuming the shingle wasn’t damaged saturation of water from beneath, you can simply slide a new shingle into place. Every shingle on a roof should be secured at least four nails, driven straight into the roof, not angled. Six nails is preferred if you live in an area with inclimate weather.
Move along your roof and replace all the shingles that are peeling up, cracked, or warped in any way! This is a great, simple way to minimize water and freezing damage over winter.
Check Your Flashings
Flashings are the seals around the edge of things that protrude from your roof. In your home, this might include things like a skylight, chimney, or vents for other interior systems. In an ideal world, flashing protects these protrusions from letting water through the roof. In reality, weather beats down on flashings over years, and can wear them down to ineffectiveness.
This is especially true if you live in an older home with asphalt flashings. Before Winter sinks its teeth in, take a cautious walk across your roof. Visit your chimney, and other vents sticking out. If you notice cracks or gaps in the flashings around these things, sealing them can save you from water damage and rot down the line.
Patching cracks with the same material the flashing is made from is always an option. For added durability, though, replacing old flashings with newer, metal ones will improve performance for future seasons.
This Fall, don’t wait too long to take a good look at your roof. Patching tiny cracks now could save you a ton of time and money come the end of the season! This article on roofs is brought to you one of the best roofing companies in Atlanta, Colony Roofers.
