Roof Safety Tips for Homeowners During Winter Weather
Winter brings about a unique set of challenges, unlike spring, summer, or autumn where weather patterns tend to be milder. This is especially true with the matter of maintaining and protecting roofs against winter weather. Snow, ice, and bitter freezing temperatures can wreak havoc on your roof’s integrity, structure, and soundness. This may lead to costly damages and repairs over time if you don’t proactively resolve issues. In this post, we’ll go over the best roof safety tips for homeowners during winter weather months and how you can have the best winter yet with help from American Remodeling.
Understanding Winter Roof Hazards
Before exploring the safety tips, it’s also very important to recognize common hazards roofs face during the winter season:
Ice Dams
Ice dams occur when the heat from your home radiates outward onto your roof. This heat then causes snow to melt and water to trickle down, resulting in an ice dam forming once the water refreezes. The ice dam will present proper drainage and will likely result in water accumulation, resulting in damage to your roof.
Heavy Snow Loads
Snow can be surprisingly heavy in many cases, and this weight may cause significant stress on your roof.
Icicle Formation
Icicles can be a dangerous and deadly hazard in some cases. Aside from the sharp nature of an icicle, they can also weigh down your gutter system, resulting in costly damage.
Frozen Gutters
When gutters freeze, they are unable to properly drain water when snow melts. This may result in damage to your gutters, your roof, and issues throughout your home.
Preventative Measures to Enhance Roof Safety
Regular Inspections
Pre-Winter Inspection
It’s important to have a professional come out before the winter season arrives to ensure there are no vulnerable areas which could prove to be an issue during the winter season. Some of these issues could consist of cracked or missing shingles, compromised flashing, or other problem areas you’ll want to address before the first snowfall.
Post-Storm Checks: After each heavy snowfall or ice storm, you’ll want to have a process for performing post-storm checks. This includes visually inspecting your roof for problem areas such as noticeable sagging or excessive ice accumulation.
Adequate Insulation and Ventilation
Attic Insulation: Attic insulation prevents heat from escaping your home which will help improve your energy efficiency as well as reduce the frequency of ice dams developing.
Attic Ventilation: Proper ventilation helps maintain an even-keel roof temperature. This further prevents ice dam formation and allows moisture to escape, reducing the chances of mold developing and mildew growing.
Snow Removal
Use the Right Tools: A roof rake with a long extension pole can help you successfully and safely remove accumulated snowfall. Avoid using sharp, metal tools, as these will likely cause damage to your roof.
Clear Snow Evenly: You’ll want to remove snow evenly from both sides of your roof to prevent excess accumulation in specific areas.
Know When to Hire Professionals: If you feel overwhelmed or unsure if you can handle the snow removal process, it’s better to call a professional.
Gutter Maintenance
Clean Before Freezing Weather: If you know freezing weather is on the horizon, you’ll want to be sure your gutters are cleared of all leaves, twigs, and debris which could possibly lead to ice dam development.
Install Gutter Guards: Gutter guards can do a whole lot of good when it comes to minimizing the amount of debris collected and accumulated within your gutters.
Safety Protocols for DIY Maintenance
Never Work Alone: Always have a buddy to watch out for your safety and wellbeing. Winter conditions are often hazardous.
Use Safety Gear: You’ll want to wear slip-resistant shoes, gloves, and utilize safety harnesses and ropes when necessary.
Avoid Working in Bad Winter Weather: Do not work in poor weather conditions, as it will substantially increase the risk of injury.
Professional Help & When to Seek It: While DIY maintenance is suitable for some tasks, certain situations call for professional help.
Ice Dam Removal: Ice dam removal can be a very complex process which could be dangerous in some cases. When in doubt, reach out to a professional.
Structural Concerns: If you believe the structure of your roof is compromised, contact us and we’ll be sure to come out to your home as soon as possible to evaluate and address the issue.
Stay Safe This Winter Weather Season!
Winter weather can be great for family vacations, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, etc…; but it can also be quite burdensome on your roof. Regular inspections, proper levels of insulation and ventilation, proactive snow removal, and regularly maintained gutters will help prevent issues from arising. Keep your home safe and sound this winter and should you have any questions about your roof, feel free to reach out to us and we’ll be sure to respond to your message as soon as possible. We look forward to hearing from you soon!
