Your roof requires regular maintenance and repair—especially before winter arrives—to make sure that you are protected and comfortable. It is therefore important to make sure that you engage roofing professionals to assess your roof and flag any repairs that are required. Let’s take a look at five reasons why you should have your roof inspected before winter:
1. After Rainfall Repairs
Summer and spring come with rainfall and moisture that is absorbed by the roof. The roof sheets may crack as a result, meaning that when winter rolls in, you will experience leakage if it snows and a cold draft in your house. In extreme cases, a leaking roof can damage the foundation of the house. The foundation of the home can then crack, which will cause the house to sink. A leaking roof can further cause damage to your house in the form of damaged floors, as well as create a slip and fall hazard.
Leaking roofs can also cause a fire hazard when the water gets in contact with electrical wiring. Insulation damage isn’t the only concern regarding a fire. If your house has uncovered or exposed wires, you are in danger of experiencing a fire.
It’s important to note that you might not always notice a leaking roof. The leakage may collect in the ceiling, meaning you wouldn’t see any trickles on the floor. The continuous collection of moisture in the ceiling can then result in it caving in or collecting mould, which is hazardous to your health.
To prepare for winter, you should engage a trustworthy roofing contractor like The Roof Troop for quality inspection and services.
2. Avoid Major Damage
Roof inspection means avoiding major damage by quickly attending to a problem that would have grown if left unattended to. You may not realise that your roof is cracked until an inspection is executed. Only then might you realise that a crack had been widening over time, and will continue to do so if not fixed. Leaving such roofing problems unaddressed is a dangerous situation to be in. This is how a roof ‘suddenly caves in’ during extreme weather conditions such as a snowstorm. An inspection, however, means that the professionals can catch these kinds of issues and stop them from escalating.
3. Spot Potential Issues
Potential roofing issues are spotted during an inspection such as problematic gutters. Blocked gutters mean that water can’t flow away from your house. Such situations risk the foundation getting cracked as well as the development and spread of mould. There are methods designed to unclog a gutter—however, professionals will fix the root problem from the roof which is ideal for longevity.
If your house is surrounded by trees, an inspection is required to ascertain that your property is still safe. For instance, an inspection flags the possible dangers of branches breaking or scraping on your roof. It can be dangerous to live under trees that could bend or have branches break off unexpectedly. Once the professionals have flagged this potential danger, you can facilitate for the trimming or removal of the trees. Not only do you protect your house from potential damage, but you also make sure that you and your family are safe during the winter.
Flagging potential issues helps to save you from spending the amount of money you would have to when attending to the worst-case scenario. Imagine having to suddenly prioritise roof repairs during winter, which may mean diverting finances from indoor heating. An inspection would allow you to avoid such scenarios.
4. Warmth
You need to make sure that you have a quality roof insulation in place before winter hits. The roof’s insulation is a barrier within the roof space and acts as a protective blanket. The insulation is what contributes to your warmth when you are indoors by preventing air leaks that let the heated air in your home out and cold air from outdoors in. If you don’t have your roof inspected, you may risk going into the winter season with faulty insulation, meaning you will feel cold and uncomfortable as well as a high heating bill.
5. Roof Cleaning
A roof inspection makes it possible to assess the extent to which the roof requires cleaning. A clean roof has less risk of wind damage because of the lack of debris. Debris and clutter will damage the roof during a strong wind or storm. The roof may get scratched and the debris can get lodged in roof tiles, which may later contribute to cracking.
Conclusion
It’s important to schedule a roofing inspection before the next winter rolls in. Your roof may need leakage repair from the summer and spring rains. An inspection also means that you can avoid major damage by tackling a problem before it magnifies. Potential issues can be flagged by the roofing experts such as tree damage, and you are guaranteed warmth if your insulation is inspected. An inspection will also highlight the level of cleaning that you will need to do before the winter comes.