Your roof can be impacted by all sorts of weather conditions, but winter is especially troublesome – your roof needs to be inspected periodically to stop issues caused by snowy and icy weather.
Winter is likely the most essential season for carrying out a roof inspection and repairs as the relentless winds, snow and melting ice can make their way right through an aged roof’s flashings cracked tiles and blocked guttering, causing you unwanted and costly problems.
Every homeowner should aim to take some preventive action to maintain their roofs and keep their homes a little safer ahead of winter.
So, here are a few common issues and recommendations to help you get winter-ready.
Roof Flashing Leaks
Flashing systems have been used for a long time in several parts of the country. They’ve demonstrated durability and effectiveness in the majority of applications. Roof damage can be severe as a result of flashing leaks. Regular inspection is the best way for you to determine whether you have a leak in your roof flashing.
Flashing leaks frequently occur around skylights, chimneys, and vent pipes so it’s important to take precautions against leaky flashings by getting your roof safely inspected by a professional roofing contractor to prevent this from becoming a bigger problem.
Ensure your roof is insulated
To maintain the greatest level of warmth during the colder months, make sure your roof or attic is properly insulated. By preventing heat loss through your roof’s interior insulation, you can avoid problems with condensation or ice damage. Mould, leaks, and cracks are more prone to occur when your roof is colder or even frozen.
A roof must also be properly ventilated as limited airflow can cause a roof to start “sweating” when the heating is turned back on and caused by excess humidity condensing on the underside of your roof. Make sure your roof ventilation is open and that there is plenty of room around your roof insulation so that your roof can breathe.
If you’re not sure whether you have adequate roof ventilation, get in touch with RCR Roofing in York to inspect your roof.
Inspect Gutters
Professionally installed gutters ought to slant slightly in the direction of the downspout. By using a hosepipe to spray some water into the gutter and watching where it goes, you may verify this is the fact. The guttering is not functioning properly if water pools, overflows, or leaks through gutter joints. Clearing your own gutters using a ladder can be dangerous, so we recommend a reputable, local roofing company to perform a full roofline inspection.
Remove moss and debris from roof tiles
Rooftops and gutters are ideal habitats for moss since they can grow anywhere that is moist and shaded. When moss develops on a roof, it tends to trap water, which can harm the tiles or slates caused by repeated freezing and thawing cycles – when this happens it causes them to shift, slip and crack. If you spot cracked or damaged tiles and slates, please speak to an experienced roofer who can help with slate and tile roofing repairs quickly and safely
Carry out a regular inspection
Winter is often the busiest time of year for local roofers so it is recommended that you have your roof maintained to avoid any problems escalating into larger, more costly issues. This is why it is so important to engage in roof maintenance and repair ahead of or before the main winter period. However, climbing onto your roof is not advised and should be left to your local roofer or a roofing contractor.
Call a roofing professional – RCR Roofing
Trusted, Professional Roofing Services York & North Yorkshire
Need help getting your roof prepared for winter? RCR Roofing can help, with a free, no-obligation quotation for any roof repairs or a roof inspection.