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The fall season changes with colorful leaves and cool temperatures to welcome the chilly winter.
However, with heavy snowfall, cold winds, and a high probability of storms, winter brings many changes, especially for your home’s roof.
Thus, you must properly prepare your roof to handle the winter weather by undergoing preventative maintenance in the fall season. In this article, we will discuss the top 9 fall roof maintenance tips. Keep reading to know more.
1. Clean Your Gutters
Falling leaves are beautiful to witness in autumn, but sometimes, they can easily get into your roof’s gutters. As the dry, loose leaves and debris build up in the drain over the winter, ice can harden them, clogging them.
Dirty roof gutters can also become a potential place for mold growth. So, before it translates into a condition beyond any repairs, clean the gutters thoroughly to prevent them from clogging or mold development.
2. Steer Away Debris
It is not that debris can accumulate only on roof gutters but also on your entire roof. Cleaning is an essential element of your fall roof maintenance. This is because the snow and debris can put extra weight on the roof, severely damaging it.
So, to clean the debris, you can use a leaf blower or a broom to sweep off the trash from the roof. Be gentle while sweeping, especially when you are working on the shingles.
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3. Trim Your Trees
By trimming the nearby trees, you can reduce the number of debris that ends up on your roof.
Moreover, trimming branches close to your roof prevents them from further damage, like a branch cracking during a snowstorm in the winter.
Sometimes, untrimmed tree branches can interfere with the shingles leading to severe roof damage. Thus, pruning them off is essential in the fall season.
4. Check For Roof Damages
To maintain your roof, you must regularly check for roof damage. You should keep the following things in mind while looking for damages.
Look into the Shingles
Check the shingles on your roof to see if it is curled or cracked. Damaged shingles need to be replaced. If you notice any shingle granules accumulated in gutters, it indicates you need new shingles.
Consider Water Damage in Walls and Ceilings
Summer showers typically cause more severe water damage on the roof than you think. So, look for signs of any water damage on the interior walls and ceilings of your terrace and repair them in autumn before winter hazards exaggerate the issue.
Snow buildup on roof leaks can cause a chaotic situation leading to a huge problem. Hence, fix the leakage as soon as you notice them so that the water from the snow or ice does not seep into your rooms.
Check the Roof Insulation
Ensure that your home’s roof is properly insulated before winter approaches. It ensures that your room remains warm and lowers your energy bills.
A basic way to check your roof’s insulation is through a touch test. If you see that the interior ceiling is not warm and dry, instead, you are feeling cold and damp from it, and the insulation is not working properly.
In such a case, you can seek professional help from a reliable roofing company like Ninja Roofs. They will thoroughly check your roof and repair it effectively for adequate insulation.
5. Install Gutter Guards for Your Roofs
Gutter guards are an effective and affordable tool that helps reduce the time you spend cleaning the gutters. These simple caps around the drain prevent leaves from falling inside.
Although these guards don’t allow large debris to pass through the drain, water can seep into it, facilitating easy drainage. Thus, you won’t really have to clean the debris repeatedly by installing gutter guards.
6. Eliminate Ice Dams
With the chilly winds of the approaching winter, a ridge of ice often forms at the edge of the roof. These are known as ice dams that prevent melting snow from draining into the gutters, leading to a clogged drain.
Further, ignoring these dams results in rotting decks, loose shingles, broken gutters, and water accumulation that can leak into your home. Thus, ice dams should be avoided at all costs.
Fortunately, there are numerous strategies for removing these ice accumulations, such as using hot wires, de-icers, and snow raking. Also, by increasing the insulation and ventilation in your attic, you can prevent ice dams.
7. Apply Sealants
Applying coatings and sealants on your roof can add a protective layer, safeguarding it against any harsh environmental conditions. Especially if you have metal or slate roofs, sealants are a necessity.
Besides, sealing is majorly required after a storm or ice shower. It is not time-consuming and ensures that your roof does not leak and remains properly insulated.
8. Schedule Roof Inspection
Roof inspections are an essential part of roof maintenance and majorly involve looking over your terrace and checking whether there is any structural issue or damage.
Generally, it is recommended to schedule roof inspections twice a year – autumn and spring. The weather is relatively mild during these times, helping you execute repairs more effectively.
So, when you schedule an inspection with a professional roofing company in the fall, they will primarily ensure that the roof is in a proper condition to withstand the upcoming winter season and its harsh elements like a storm, snow, etc.
9. Invest in Roof Repairs
After a thorough inspection, if the professional detect some issues with your roof’s strength and integrity, they will instruct you to do some repair work. Ensure that it is done immediately without any delay.
Small problems in the fall season can turn into ugly faces in winter. So, you must repair and maintain your roof in autumn to make it thrive throughout the year.
Summing Up
Regardless of the type of roof your home has, you must protect it throughout the year by giving adequate care and maintenance.
However, due to the extreme summer and winter weather, roof usually tolerates a lot of hazards during these times, leading to minor or major damages.
So, fall is the best time in between the transition of the 2 seasons to conduct proper roof maintenance. Follow the above fall roof maintenance tips to ensure a strong roof above you.
