Your roof can take a particularly hard beating in the winter. Snow, ice, cold temperatures, and even water can cause serious damage to your roof. While you can’t change the weather, you can prepare your roof to withstand the winters. You may be asking, “How does winter weather affect my roof?”
Here are some of the most common ways winter weather affects your roof and the steps you can take to protect your roof.
Ice Damming
Ice damming is one of the greatest threats faced by your roof during the winter season. Most often, ice dams are caused by poor ventilation or insulation. This occurs when snow and ice on your roof melt due to internal heat from your home’s interior; however the heat is not distributed evenly. The melting water will flow to the edges of the roof where it freezes into a solid mass of ice.
Ice dams prevent meltwater from running off your roof. Backed-up water can work its way under your roof covering, through tiny cracks on the surface. Heavy icicles can also form on the gutters, leading to sagging or breakage.
How to Protect Your Roof
Proper roof ventilation is the best defense against ice damming. A balance of intake and exhaust vents will allow warm air to escape the attic and cool air to enter. Keeping your gutters clean can prevent the formation of icicles.
Attic Condensation
When things such as heavy snow buildup and ice damming occur on your roof, the warm air rising to your home’s attic will hit the cold roof deck and turn into moisture. This moisture may lead to wood rot, which compromises the integrity of your roof from the inside out.
How to Protect Your Roof
Update your roof’s venting system. Proper ventilation allows warm air to escape without it turning into liquid. Also, check dehumidifiers, plumbing, and appliances that may not be functioning optimally.
Wind Damage
Strong winds are not uncommon during the winter. These winds can loosen your roof covering and blow them off the roof. With exposure to rain and snow, water could leak into your house through spaces left on the roof.
Tree limbs close to the roof can come crashing down onto the roof if they are weak, dead, or heavy-laden with snow. A branch blown on the wind can be strong enough to tear shingles or cause an area of your roof to cave in.
How to Protect Your Roof
Before the winter weather sets in, have your roof inspected. Repair or replace any loose, missing, or damaged roofing materials.
If your home is in an area prone to heavy winds, consider investing in quality roofing materials that can withstand winds up to 110 mph. Also, be sure to trim any branches within six feet of your roof.
Seasonal attention to your roof can help preserve its integrity and protect your home for years to come. Turn to Moss Roofing for all your roofing needs in Indianapolis. We will ensure your roof is in good shape for the winter season. Contact us today for a free estimate.