Keeping Your Roof in Shape for Winter

Winter comes with its own set of unique challenges and issues for your roof, but you can prevent a majority of those issues from ever occurring by making sure your roof is able withstand wintry conditions. Your roof bears the brunt of heavy snow and chilly winds, so making sure it is prepared for winter means you and your home will be less vulnerable. Here are some tips you can use to prepare your home and roof for the coming winter.

• Inspect your gutters – Cluttered gutters can wreak havoc not only on your roof but the inside of your home as well. Clogged gutters easily create ice dams that trickle over and create icicles, which can weigh heavily on your gutters, causing them to collapse.1 To prevent ice dams, examine your gutters for debris and clean them out before the snows fall. Fill your gutters using a hose to see how well your gutters drain water. If the water doesn’t exit at a steady flow, then you may need new gutters or you may need to clear out additional debris.

• Insulate your home – Insulating your home not only keeps your home warm and toasty, it also prevents heat from seeping out and warming your attic and subsequently your roof. Roof warming can lead to melting snow, which can leak into your home. Sealing additional elements like fireplaces, vent pipes, exhaust fans and light fixtures can help prevent this from happening, so installing insulation and sealing off vulnerable areas should be a priority.
  

• Protect your roof from debris – if you have tree branches that loom over your roof, trim them. These branches can freeze in the winter and break off, crashing down onto your roof and causing extensive damage.2 If your trees branches are spindly, a simple trim should work, but for thicker branches you may need to contact an arborist or landscaper to have them safely trim your branches without damaging the tree’s health or your home. Trimmed branches also means that there will be less debris in your gutters.
  

It’s crucial to make sure you’ve inspected your roof and enacted solutions before winter arrives as snow and winter storms will only make it more difficult for you to enact repairs. While you can carry out many of these tips yourself, it’s best to get a professional to do them for you.

Alpine Construction has contractors who know how to prepare a roof for winter and what vulnerabilities to look for. We’re a general contractor in Spokane that specializes in a wide range of general contracting services including roofing, remodeling, masonry, siding, gutters, waterproofing, skylights, retaining walls, insulation, venting additions, garages and more.

We’ve been providing the Spokane area with professional and affordable general contracting services and repairs since 1986 and are committed to the principles of quality, integrity and honesty. Even if you’re just interested in a roof inspection or minor repairs, we’d be happy to assist. Contact us today to ensure your roof is prepared for the rest of winter.