It’s only September so you may be wondering why I’m harping about winterizing your roof now with winter a number of months off. Let me tell you this; winterize now before winter is upon us! With a little planning and taking action now to winterize your roof, this is one plan that will save you time, money and roof damage.

Now depending upon where you live winter can mean a number of different things. In my part of the world it means lots, and lots, and lots of rain. However, some places old man winter brings extremely low temperatures, snow and ice. Whatever the extreme condition winter brings you; be it rain, wind, cold, it can take a real toll on a roof that is left unprotected as winter approaches. In these cases the price of inaction can add up dearly.

How To Prepare Your Roof For Winter

So what are some things you can do to prepare your roof for the cold winter months? One thing is to keep the gutters cleaned out and in good repair. When a gutter is clogged with debris, leaves or pine needles and then becomes full of rain or snow it can freeze right in the gutter. Imagine one huge ice cube hanging from the edge of your roof. The weight alone can rip a nice gutter system right from the side of your roof. Or it can overflow with ice cycles, they look great in photos but can do real damage to your home or folks unlucky enough to get hit by a falling one.

Leaky Roofs – A Nightmare

Another item to take care of before winter sets in is leaks in your roof. You’ll want to make sure that you repair any leaks well before winter hits; once it starts to rain or snow you’re not going to have many opportunities to repair your roof. The most important reason to repair your roof leaks now though is that roof leaks cause a huge amount of damage. Even small leaks, if left alone, can become huge and damage not just the roof structure; the leak can also damage the attic and home below the roof, causing untold damage.

Now the first thing that probably comes to your mind when we’re talking about a leak is water damage. I don’t want to minimize water damage, it’s horrible. However, the real culprit form a leaking roof is mold, mildew and bacteria. If this stuff gets a foothold and starts to build up in your home it can cause you all kinds of health issues. Mod, mildew and the resulting bacteria can get inside the walls of your home. This leads to health problems for you and your family all because of a roof that started to leak.

Winterizing Products

There are plenty of products on the market that you can use to waterproof your roof as well. This is a great idea if you live in a climate where it rains or snows a lot during the winter. You’ll find that the waterproofing products on the market today do quite a bit more than just protect your roof from water. It usually includes some preservers and conditioners for your roof as well.

Now applying waterproofing materials isn’t probably something you’ll want to take on yourself; instead, I’d have it done by a professional. It might cost you a bit of money; however, the application generally pays for itself in savings to your utility bills during the winter and even going into the summer. Since standing water, melting ice and snow along with constant exposure to cold can lead to a wide range of issues, taking good care of your roof is worth the investment. Having a waterproofing product applied to your roof is a great fist line of defense towards protecting your roof this winter.

So, if you haven’t started winterizing your roof, now is the time to get started! Take some time this weekend to see what you can do to give your roof an advantage this winter. Get your roof winterized well before Old Man Winter moves in this year!a