ROOF MAINTENANCE TIPS FOR FALL
With the winter months quickly approaching, it’s more important than ever to ensure your rooftop is ready for the snow and ice that will hit the Midwest. Ensuring that your shingles and gutters can handle the inclement weather can make all the difference if you want to avoid a full roof replacement or even minor roof repairs in the spring. However, keep in mind that your roof is not the only item to look at prior to winter, take a look at this comprehensive list from Porch.com to make sure all of these tasks get checked off your list!
Trim Your Trees
One of the first things you will want to review is your landscaping and trees. If you have trees that are close to your home, it’s important to remove any dead branches that may come down under the weight of snow and ice. Even if certain branches are in good health, but they hang over your roof, it’s still a good idea to remove them so they do not end up scraping against your shingles and gutters resulting in expensive repairs or replacements.
Clean Out Your Gutter System
Once you have trimmed back the trees in your yard, the next step is to inspect your gutter system. If you spent any time cleaning up leaves and twigs in your yard, chances are high that you may also have that type of natural debris in your gutters. If your gutters become clogged with leaves, bird nests, or other natural debris, moisture can quickly build up and find its way into your home. Clogged gutters that do not properly reroute water can compromise your foundation, siding or even flood your basement.
Here are a few ways to spot a clogged gutter system:
- Dripping and overflowing gutters when it rains
- Noticeable cracks or rusting on the gutters
- Pooling water on your lawn or near your foundation
- The water inside your home, such as your basement or roof
- Finding small critters in your home that are nesting in your gutters
Checking your gutters twice a year, once in the spring and once in the late fall, will ensure that you are heading into winter with gutters that are ready to reroute the melting snow and ice.
Schedule a Roof Inspection
Is the roof original to the house you live in? Did a severe storm hit your neighborhood over the summer? If so, scheduling a roof inspection with McKinnis, an Omaha-based roofing company, would be the best way to get further details about your roof. McKinnis can help you determine if a full replacement is needed or if your roof just needs some maintenance. There are a few things inspectors will be on the lookout for as they review your shingles. Missing, curled, or blistered shingles can be caused by a number of things such as overall age, poor installation, and severe weather. Having a missing shingle or two may not seem like a big deal, but these minor damages to your roof make it easy for moisture to find its way into your home and can lead to the expensive interior and exterior repairs down the road.
Having your roof’s structural integrity checked on a yearly basis, especially after a severe storm, is a great way to reduce the number of costly repairs that your roof will need during its lifetime. Our Omaha roofing experts at McKinnis roofing would love to help.
Call Us Today
If you are in need of roofing, windows, siding or gutter, please contact us today and set up an appointment. McKinnis is safely serving the Blair, Omaha, and Lincoln areas, and we would be happy to help you with your next home exterior project!