4 Ways to Prepare Your Roof for Winter
Living in the Madison metro area, you know all too well how harsh the winters can truly get. With the bitter cold sticking around upwards of six months, this can potentially cause a great deal of damage to your home’s exterior, especially your roof.
Do you know how to prepare your roof for the winter ahead? If not, you’ve come to the right place.
Here are four ways to prepare your roof for winter!
1. Inspect the Exterior of Your Home
The first step to preparation is an inspection! Of course, to prepare your roof for winter, you will need to inspect it. However, inspecting the rest of your exteriors such as your siding and gutters will give you a better idea of the condition of your roof before you even get up there!
In short, inspecting your home’s exterior will help you catch signs of damage in time to schedule repair or replacement before it gets too cold.
2. Trim Low-Hanging Branches
Trees can be very beneficial to your home and your property. Trees can provide adequate shade from the brutally hot summer days and shield you from the bitter gusts of winter wind.
With that being said, low-hanging branches on those trees can pose a threat to your roof. Branches can accumulate snow during a storm, potentially causing them to buckle under the added weight. These branches may also snap off with a heavy gust of wind, turning them into flying debris.
3. Inspect & Insulate Your Attic
One common winter roofing problem is those pesky ice dams. Ice dams occur when the snow on your roof melts and trickles down to the collection of ice at the edge. Ice dams can cause heavy amounts of damage to your roof as well as water damage to your interior.
To prevent ice dams, you need to keep your attic cold, which means keep the warm air in your living quarters. Inspect your roof and decide whether or not to add more insulation.
If you have eight inches of insulation or less, you may want to consider getting that thickness up to 12-14 inches.
4. Install Ventilation in Your Attic
During the winter, warm air can stagnate in your attic contributing to ice dams. Installing a ventilation system in your attic will keep air healthily flowing throughout.
Call on Isthmus Roofing For Winter Prep
If you find that you require repair or replacement to your roofing or siding before winter hits, call on Isthmus Roofing. Request a free quote online or give us a call at 608-949-4250 today!