Winter Readiness: Top 5 Ways To Prepare Your Roof For Winter

What we tend to forget is a simple old adage: "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"

With the 2015 winter season fast approaching, getting together a "home preparation plan" NOW can save you hundreds—if not thousands—of dollars in the future repair work.

Here is some very helpful advice that any homeowner can put into action well before the arrival of winter.

1. Clean Those Gutters! Seems like a pretty self-explanatory thing to do, right? But how many of us actually do this before the colder months arrive? Cleaning your gutters even well into the winter months can protect your fascia board and help prevent ice dams from forming.

2. Install Attic Insulation: Again, it seems like a no-brainer when in fact it's very easily overlooked. Installing or upgrading your attic insulation can help reduce unwanted loss of heat via the roof, which in turn, can help reduce soaring energy bills. 

Aside from curbing your bills, upgrading or installing new insulation can prevent moisture build-up in, on and around the roof which can reduce the chances of plywood damage, mold build-up and even those aforementioned Ice Dams.

3. Visual Inspections: Take some time out to walk around your home. Sip some coffee, breath the crisp winter air and while you're at it, be sure to visually inspect your home.

Check for branches that may need to be trimmed away from the roof. If you can get up on your roof, check for missing shingles, flashing issues and heavy deposits of debris. Fix what you can, and find a quality roofing contractor to do the harder work for you.

Like A&C Windows and Roofing! 

4. Visually Inspections Part 2: Don't just stop at inspecting the exterior portion of your home and roof, remember to give a good visual inspection in your attic.

Giving a good hard look on the INSIDE of your home is an easy way to find hidden issues you may not notice from the OUTSIDE of your home.

5. Game Plan: Once you have taken some time to look everything over, you will need to devise a game plan. Don't just identify potential issues and convince yourself you'll take care of it later.

The faster you react to potential issues, the faster you solve unwanted problems.

 Remember that the roof above is the largest structure of the home protecting you and your family—a structure that requires care.

Have a question? Need your roof inspected? Maybe it's time to consider upgrading your old roof? 

Let us know in either the comment section or by contacting us directly.