A Guide on How to Prep Your Gutter & Roof for Winter
It may not yet be the holiday season so you may not have any reason to climb on your roof to hang Christmas lights… Still, it would be great if you went atop your roof to check on your gutters… Reason? Winter is fast approaching.
Seasons have a weird sense of humor. Up until the start of winter, nature will conspire to fill your roof and gutters with leaves during summer as trees shed their leaves. If you do not carry out maintenance on the zenith part of your property, you will be in for a rude shock when winter sets in.
Your gutters will be clogged at the worst time possible; when you need them clear to drain the fast-melting snow and ice on your roof.
According to Ross Appledorn, CEO of Feazel Inc. – An industry titan in the roofing industry in Columbus and Cincinnati –, If you have a buildup of snow and/or ice on your roof during winter and are stuck with clogged gutters, you are in real trouble.
Building codes enacted in Columbus within the past 10 years stipulate that property owners should install ice and water shields when building new properties.
Though many people who live in a small town and have owned properties for many years in the state may be unaware, the same codes stipulate that property owners should make the same installations when replacing old roofing.
Ice and water shields are required since they help avoid the formation of ice dams on rooftops.
If you are hoping to have an enjoyable holiday season, you should take serious steps to prepare for the winter season.
Below, we have compiled information on another important part of your house to watch out for as you prep for the incoming cold season.
Read Also:
A Guide on How to Prep Your Attic for Winter
Ross Appledorn advises that as soon as you are done carrying out maintenance on your gutters, your next area of focus should be the attic.
According to Appledorn, there is every likelihood that instead of emptying hot air out of the roof, vents connected to your kitchen and home appliances as well as exhaust fans may be emptying into your attic.
“The worst thing you can do is have is have hot and humid air in your attic during the winter,” says Appledorn. The high temperatures in your attic will make the ice on your roof to melt making the ice damming worse.
To solve the problem of humid and hot air in your attic, Appledorn suggests that you should go into your attic and check whether the exhaust vents have a connecting hose taking the air out through the roof.
“It is very common for contractors to take shortcuts and they inadvertently end up dumping the hot exhaust air into the attic,” says Appledorn.
If you have a properly ventilated attic, you should be able to see light filtering in through the ventilation spaces. You can also protect your roof from high temperatures emanating from the attic by installing proper installation in your attic.
