Limiting and Preventing Roof Damage this Winter
Living in Wisconsin, you can expect heavy winter storms and snowfall. Often, these storms wreak havoc on your home and property, and there’s little that you can do about it in the moment. There are, however, precautions you can take in order to limit the amount of damage done to your home. What is exposed, more than anything, to winter storms? The roof. Here are our tips and suggestions on how to maximize the life of your roof and prevent it from getting too damaged during the winter.
Inspect & Maintain
At the heart of protecting roof damage is you, or an inspector, as the case may be. Setting aside a time to inspect your roof one day a year will ensure your roof doesn’t go long periods of time damaged. The National Association of Home Builders says a typical asphalt shingled roof should last you 20 years. That is, of course, if your roof is maintained properly. Here’s what you should do to maintain your roof:
- Look for damaged shingles. Anyone can do this, be it yourself or an inspector. Powerful winds can rip loose shingles from your roof and cause other shingles to tear off.
- Upgrade your roof’s toughness. There are some easy ways to toughen up your roof all by yourself. One way is to apply roofing cement under shingles to keep them down tight.
- Inspect your gutters and downspouts. Excessive buildup of water and debris in the gutters can form pools of water on your roof that will damage it over time.
Minimizing Snow Buildup
The key here is to not allow more snow of your roof than it can structurally handle. According to the Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety, the typical roof can handle 20 pounds of snow per square foot of roof. They suggest using a snow rake (average cost 40 dollars) to remove the excess snow. Don’t let fresh snow sit on your roof to become slushy and icy. “Old snow”, as it’s called, weighs more than fresh snow. The threshold to the amount of snow your roof can handle depends on how old the snow is, so as much as possible, remove it.
Hail: The Roof Killer
It’s not a surprise Wisconsin is exposed to hail storms. According to Landlord Safety, the majority of all hailstorms fall in the Midwest. The fact is, a huge hail storm will damage your roof in some capacity. What you do right after a storm is vital.
- Inspect your roof, looking for loose, broken, and missing shingles. Check downspouts and gutters for damage.
- Check your attic for slivers of light that are signs of holes in your roof. If you don’t have an attic, check the upper level roofs for holes.
- Invite a professional contractor out to your home to inspect your roof.
Count On Kelmann
We may live in Wisconsin, exposed to brutal winter storms and winds, but there’s no need to worry. Kelmann Restoration has been your greater Milwaukee restoration expert since 1973. Contact us here if you have an emergency — we’ll be out to your property within 60 minutes.