For most homeowners, out of sight is out of mind—until disaster strikes!
When it comes to our roof, this trend holds true. Most of us don’t appreciate the solid roof over our heads until it starts letting in water, which is when it’s often too late to reverse the damage.
Worse still is when heavy rain and snowstorms cause the damage, leaving us facing unexpected bills and the headache of dripping water.
A weatherproof roof is your home’s first defense against the worst Mother Nature can throw at you, so it’s important to take a few steps to keep moisture at bay. Here’s what you need to know.
1. Remove Dead Leaves and Branches
Dead leaves and branches are more than just an eyesore—they can also make it harder to keep water from seeping into your roof.
When branches, fallen leaves, and other debris accumulate on your roof, they can create a small dam that allows water and snow to collect and stagnate.
Making sure your roof is clean ensures that precipitation can flow off of your roof without a problem.
2. Maintain Your Drainage System
It’s hard to talk about weatherproofing a roof without discussing its drainage system. Your roof’s drainage system helps to move water away from your roof, which in turn eases the strain your roof has to bear.
If you’ve been wondering how to make your roof last longer, one easy way is to maintain its drains.
Cleaning your gutters and downpipes regularly can help prevent blockages from allowing water to back up. Blocked downpipes can cause a great deal of damage along your eaves and roof cavities, so make sure this upkeep is part of your regular home maintenance checklist.
Don’t forget to install gutter guards to help!
3. Trim Back Your Trees
As we’ve said above, keeping debris and fallen leaves off your roof is important, but this can be hard when you have a tree hanging over your roof. While you don’t need to cut the branches back entirely, trimming them away from your roof can keep some of the fallen leaves from accumulating where they don’t belong.
However, trimming your trees also serves another important purpose: it keeps tree limbs from striking your home in turbulent weather. With heavy snow, ice, hail, or rain, tree limbs may even fall off entirely—which is why it’s important to make sure that any potential fall won’t impact the integrity of your roof.
4. Replace Impaired or Missing Shingles
Over time, shingles may warp, curl, or become damaged. You may even look up one day to notice that some shingles are missing entirely.
Again, this is more than a cosmetic issue. Shingles are designed to protect your home from the moisture bad weather brings, and impairments can let this moisture sneak into your roof system.
Once mold and mildew set in, you’ll need more than a quick fix!
To prevent this from happening, it’s important to replace impaired or missing shingles as soon as you notice them. A professional can also evaluate the integrity of surrounding shingles to make sure you won’t need to do more replacements soon.
5. Upgrade Your Attic Insulation
Attic insulation may not be the first thing you consider when wondering how to waterproof a roof, but it’s an important part of the puzzle. Proper insulation can help keep leaks and moisture out of your home. It can also prevent intense temperature fluctuations that can warp your roof’s structure or damage its integrity.
During the winter, your attic’s insulation is particularly important—especially in heavy snows. Your attic’s insulation is critical in preventing the dreaded ice dams. When your attic has solid insulation, warm air won’t have a chance to escape to melt the snow piled on your roof.
When you pair this strategy with proper ventilation, you won’t have to worry about roof issues during the coldest days of the year!
6. Use Seam Tape
Depending on the type of roofing materials used on your home, seam tape can be a great way to get a little extra protection. This is especially true if you’re wondering how to keep a roof from leaking: seam tape can sometimes prevent an existing impairment from growing worse until you can seek professional help.
Also called “deck tape,” seam tape can be used on all the joints and seams of a roof to keep moisture from penetrating. Make sure to put strong pressure on it for an airtight seal.
7. Add a Water Repellent Layer
Wondering how to weatherproof a roof that’s aging, or a cheap installation that used less reliable waterproofing methods? Adding a water repellent layer can help.
When roofs are installed, they come with a layer of waterproof material, usually tar paper, roofing felt, or thermoplastic polyolefin. These layers are placed between the shingles and rafters of your roof.
However, if this layer is impaired, degraded, or missing, you can add your own above the shingles. You can find water-resistant roof coatings at most home improvement stores, and though the specific instructions may vary, you’ll generally apply them by spraying or brushing them across your shingles.
8. Do an Annual Roof Inspection
If you’re looking for more specific tips on how to weatherproof a roof, there’s no better way to get answers than an annual maintenance check.
You should have an expert come out to inspect your roof once a year to ensure that your roof is in solid condition. A professional can give advice on proper maintenance and weatherproofing, and they’ll also be able to help you decide which of the tactics above will work best with your roof.
In addition, annual roof inspections can increase the lifespan of your roof and ensure that you catch weatherproofing mistakes before they snowball into larger issues.
Let Us Get You a Weatherproof Roof
Ready to tackle the issues causing your headaches? If you’re striving for a weatherproof roof, we’re here to help. From repair to replacement, we’ll help you get the right roof over your head.
For more information, check out our services or send us a message to see how we can help!
