The winter months can be quite harsh on roofs, and often, the worst of winter weather occurs unexpectedly. As roof emergencies are the last thing you want to think about when winter hits, here are some of the most common wintertime roof emergencies and how to deal with them.
Roof Ice Dams
Ice dams are the number one roof emergency in the winter. They occur when the snow melts from your roof and then re-freezes and backs up against your shingles, causing leaks. Ice dams can cause a lot of damage to your home if not taken care of. The best way to prevent ice damming is to keep snow off your roof in the first place. You can do this by shoveling snow off your roof after every storm, even if it doesn’t look like there’s a lot left on the surface of your roof.
Attic Condensation
If a roof is not properly insulated (at least R-30 for most homes), condensation can form on the underside of roof sheathing if the air inside an attic becomes too humid from sources such as running water or indoor plants. Condensation indicates a problem with ventilation or insulation in an attic.
A good rule of thumb is that if you have an attic vent, it should be opened at least once every three days to keep your attic from getting too hot or humid.
Ceiling Cracks/ Punctures
As temperatures go down and humidity levels increase, cracks can form in your ceiling. This usually happens around light fixtures or where walls meet ceilings. These cracks need to be repaired before they get any bigger.
Shingles Peeling Away From The Roof
This problem is often caused by wind-driven rain being allowed to pool up against chimneys and vents in the attic. Sometimes, ventilation cap flashing will be missing or damaged, and this allows water to work its way into your attic space and eventually cause shingles to lift away from the roof decking itself. Fortunately, this problem is easily solved once it is identified because all you have to do is install new flashing or replace vent caps.
To prevent these problems and save yourself unnecessary repairs and worries about the safety of your family.
Schedule a regular roof inspection maintenance with our Doylestown roof repair professionals.
Ensure that your roof is thoroughly insulated to prevent ice dams.
Always check out for any blockage at the start of winter to ensure that water can flow freely.
If the roof needs to be replaced, our residential roof replacement in Hunterdon County, NJ, will be at hand to give you the best professional roof service.