Crisp air, changing colours, warm clothes… fall has officially arrived! While for some that may simply mean kissing hot summer days goodbye. But for home-owners, it should mean preparing their home for fall/winter. Living in Calgary, we have harsh climates, so when getting your house cold-weather ready, it’s even more important to inspect our roof. Why? Because all of that precipitation, excess water and heavy snow can cause unexpected and expensive damage if we don’t take the necessary pre-cautions to avoid it. As a matter of fact, conducting regular roof inspections should be done at least twice a year, if not more! And it’s that time again… here’s your fall roof inspection list!
Remove Debris
The first step is to check the surface of your shelter as well as the gutters to remove any debris that may be building up. Leaves, branches, and garbage tend to get comfortable on top of your house, but they need to find a new home. They’re unwanted guests that cause damage and clogged drains leading to leaks and water damage, therefore causing a headache to you.
Take Note of Flashing
What’s the flashing like up there? Also, what is flashing? They’re the metal pieces usually found around the chimneys, pipes, dormer windows, skylights and valleys which help prevent moisture from seeping through leading to bad water damage. Pretty important stuff! Investigate loose or deteriorating flashing. Found some? Don’t panic! It can easily be patched up using caulking or roof cement. However, if the culprit needs more complex attention, it’s recommended to contact a professional.
Inspect the Surface
Doing a careful examination of the surface can help avoid the need for an early roof replacement. If you have asphalt shingles, check for cracked, curled, bruised, blistered or missing shingles. Have a metal roof? Check for pitting, corrosion or gapping seams. By checking for these problems, you’re helping protect yourself and the value of your home.
Trim the Trees
Trees are beautiful but they can also be problematic to the protection of your home. Their branches & leaves tend to cause excess roof debris leading to all sorts of problems. Do you have tree issues? Don’t worry, you don’t have to cut it down! You just need to do some maintenance! Trim those trees to avoid ceiling leaks and other maintenance issues.
Fall is a fantastic season and it’s even better when you’re not forking over tons of cash to fix preventable problems that shouldn’t have occurred in the first place. It doesn’t take much time to do some necessary fall roof maintenance. If you need advice or services in residential, flat or commercial roofing, we’d be happy to help! After all, we believe that equality and respect are the basis of all our relationships and are committed to ALWAYS providing you with our best work.