It might not come as a surprise to you that spring is the most popular season in America. According to a Gallup poll, 36% of Americans said that spring was their favorite season.
While spring might bring to mind flowers, birds, and warm weather, for many homeowners it is also a time of recovering from the winter.
Winter weather can be very hard on your property, and it’s only during spring that the can be uncovered and repaired.
Are you not sure about what you should do to prep your roof in the spring? Let’s take a look at what you need to know.
Why Is a Spring Roof Check a Good Idea?
The elements can take a real toll on your roof. Winter is the harshest season in many places, and there are a number of reasons why spring roof prep is an important step that can save you money and prevent future damage.
Ice Dams
Ice dams and form on your roof when the snow melts from the heat of your home. This melted snow later freezes, and can create standing ice that damages your roof.
Clogged Gutters
Fallen leaves and other debris can collect in your gutters during the fall. Over the winter, shingles can also lose granules that also collect in your gutters.
With the rain and snow of fall and winter, this organic material gets compressed into a mass that can restrict the flow of water in your gutters. If they’re not cleaned out they can overflow and cause leaks as well as structural damage, staining to the side of your properties, and erosion.
Wind Damage
Your roof can be damaged by high winds. While sometimes the damage is very obvious with the roof blowing off, other times it might cause more subtle damage that you need an inspection in order to find out about.
Steep Slope Shingle Flashings
Whether it is a step flashing or pipe flashing, these are points where water can get into the structure of your home. Overtime or with severe weather these flashing can deteriorate.
Falling Tree Branches
Strong winds, ice, and heavy snow can cause tree branches to break and fall. If there are any limbs that overhanging your roof, it’s possible that they could cause damage. It can even cause damage to your roof is a branch scratches your roof due to the wind or snow.
Ensuring Your Roof Is Able to Best Protect Your Home
Your roof is one of the most essential lines of defense for your house against bad weather. You can end up saving a lot of money if you identify roof issues and address them before a storm hits.
Examine Your Shingles
When you are prepping your roof for spring, one of the things you will want to do is inspect your roof for cracked, loose, missing, or curling shingles. It is possible that you will need to have some work done to your roof depending on what you find.
When you are considering performing a spring roof check, you likely want to hire a professional roofing contractor in order to inspect your roof thoroughly. This is because it is not recommended for a homeowner to get on the roof themselves. It is easy to get injured this way and therefore best to leave it to the professionals.
Your roof is an absolutely essential part of your home and for this reason, it is best to hire a qualified roofer to make any necessary repairs. If the repairs are not done correctly, then costly damage can occur and even more expensive repairs could be required in the future.
Check Out Your Attic
An easy part of your spring roof check that you can do yourself is to check the attic. Once you are out there, you’ll want to inspect the underside of the rafters and roof deck to see if you notice any water stains, mold, black marks. Also take a look at the insulation in your attic to see if you can find any mildew.
If you do find mildew, mold, or moisture in your attic, it is possible that your roof is a leak.
Check and Clean Your Gutters
Another important task on your roof maintenance checklist is cleaning out your gutters. You can either hire a company to do this for you or you can take care of the job yourself.
Maintaining clear and clean gutters on your house is very important. The debris that had gathered over the winter in your gutters will need to be cleaned out.
You should also take a look and see if there are any water stains or spots under your eaves or around your gutters. If you do notice water stains, it’s possible that something is obstructing water from freely flowing in your gutters.
Trim the Branches of Your Trees
You will want to inspect the health of the trees on your property both for the sake of your roof and for the sake of your trees. Take a look to see if any of the branches of the trees are breaking or weak. If there are any limbs that could potentially fall onto your roof, you should have them removed immediately.
Inspect Key Areas
If you hire a professional roofing contractor to inspect your roof, they will also take a look at key areas while there up there. They can check your skylights, the exterior of the chimney, and your plumbing vent. They will be able to notice if these important components are worn or damaged.
Do You Need Your Roof Inspected, Repaired, or Replaced This Spring?
As you can see, prepping your roof for spring is an important part of responsible home maintenance. Having a professional inspector roof can ensure that your roof is in the best possible condition for the season to come.
Are you looking to have your home’s roof inspected, repaired, or replaced? At Freeman Exteriors, we’re here to help you with any of your roof needs. Contact us today with questions or to get an estimate!
