Summer always flies by, and this year has been no exception. While we still have a few nice days left, it won’t be long before we start to see the cold weather creep in. Your home has probably lived through at least a few winters before, and each year puts more wear and tear on your roof. If you have problems with your roof, the last season you want to find out about it is during the bitter cold winter! To make sure your roof is ready for cold weather, check for these three things from the Youngstown roofing contractors here at Boak & Sons:
- Your gutters.
We know, you thought this was about your roof! But gutters are an essential component to keeping your roof working properly throughout the winter. Make sure your gutters are clean and unclogged before the cold weather hits. If they’re clogged, water that builds up in your gutters and freezes is likely to cause damage to your gutters themselves along with the shingles and possibly even your siding. Ice in gutters can weigh them down, causing them to crack, pull away from the home or even fall. Save yourself the hassle now by making sure your gutters are clean!
- Your chimney, skylights, or other components on your roof.
Flashing around chimneys and skylights is one of the most common leak points our roofing contractors see. If you have something on your roof like a chimney, skylight, maybe a satellite or any other object, make sure everything around that is solid! If your flashing or shingles in that area of your roof are damaged, missing or you notice leaks coming from those areas, you’ll want those issues addressed by our Youngstown roofing contractors before winter sets in full force. Those vulnerabilities will only become worse as the weather gets colder.
- Your shingles or roofing materials themselves.
Shingles that are cracked, damaged or missing create weak spots in your roof. These create a higher likelihood of that area becoming further damaged at any time of the year, but especially in the winter. If water seeps into those cracks and freezes, it will make that crack bigger and bigger until you could be facing a severe leak.
Now before you get your ladder out, we want to emphasize how important it is to check these things safely! If your roof is steep, we highly recommend observing from the ground. If you can’t get a good view of your roof, call the Youngstown roofing contractors at Boak & Sons and we’ll take a look for you! Call us at 330-793-5646 to get a free, no-contact estimate or just fill out a contact form on our website.
