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Nothing compares to the feeling of being a child and waking up to a fresh layer of powder decorating the neighborhood. But as a parent, snow can lead to a host of problems that can put your home and children’s safety in danger. Mother Nature’s onslaught to your home can also lead to health problems depending on the scale of the damage. Here are some of the dangers of winter weather on your roof.
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Wind Damage
Wind can be incredibly damaging to the shingles on your roof. The potential for damage is much higher for roofing that is older and worn down. Strong winds are responsible for many types of damage to your shingles, including them being loosened, broken, or even blown away. But a damaged roof isn’t the only threat this poses. Shingles or nails can end up in the area around the home, becoming a new and dangerous plaything to young children.
Weight of Snow and Ice
Another threat to your roof resulting from one of Jack Frost’s winter assault is the threat posed by ice and snow. Ice, snow, and rain can all freeze on your roof, adding additional weight that your ceiling might not be capable of bearing. The additional weight can be responsible for cracks about windows and doors, the ceiling beginning to bow, or a collapsed roof in extreme situations.
Moisture Leaks
Even the best looking roofs can have faults that can be easy to miss if you don’t know what you are looking for. It is easy for moisture to leak into your home, especially through the vents in your roof. Depending on where the water ends up, it can result in flooding and mold infestation. Toxic mold can lead to a host of health and safety issues, requiring a specialized team to handle the removal.
Ice Damming
The issue of ice damming is possibly the worst of the dangers of winter weather for your roof. This occurs when the heat lost from your home mixed with the light of the sun and quickly melts the snow and ice on your roof. Sounds good right? Not so fast. This can cause the melted water to refreeze on the edge of the roof. Dangerous falling icicles can cause severe injuries and the added weight of the ice on your gutters can rip them down from your home.
The best preventatives are:
- Keep an eye on the snow depth on your roof, remove snow from the edges with a long-handled roof rake on occasion, and call in professional help if the situation becomes critical.
- To minimize ice damming: clean out your gutters in late fall, insulate and ventilate your attic, and treat your eaves with a liquid de-icer.
- Have a roofer inspect your roof for leakage points before and after each winter. Vents, valleys and the chimney especially need attention.
Sincerely,