Emergency Winter Roof Repairs

It's an unfortunate fact of life that winter weather is rough on a building and sometimes damage may occur to your house during a winter storm. Although nobody can predict every contingency which may occur, such damage is most likely going to be to your roof. It's nothing to be scared or upset about, the design of your home includes a redundancy to prevent a leak from happening when minor damage occurs, and the design also allows for a roofing contractor to make an efficient repair as needed. It is important to take note as to how the design relies on immediate attention being given to the problem before it can develop into something worse than it needs to be.

Roof Leaks: Causes and Solutions

There are a few common causes for a roof leak, assuming “normal” wear and tear, or damage, which occurs rather than a specific disaster such as a tree falling. One of the most overlooked causes is that sealant around a chimney, exhaust pipe, or skylight becomes old and brittle and develops cracks. Water will still drain until the weather freezes, at which time the expanding frozen water opens the crack and and in turn allows water in after the thaw. The other most common cause is when one or more shingles become dislodged. The tar paper underneath will prevent a leak temporarily, but eventually it too will become compromised. Further, one missing shingle may not seem like a problem but it allows water inside the system, which again, as it freezes and expands it loosens the adjoining shingles. The only possible outcome is that the problem gets worse over time.

Snow and Ice Removal

There is nothing wrong with enjoying the beautiful view of a gorgeous snowfall as it occurs or when you wake up to it. However, when the weather is predicted as an ongoing, long term freeze with more snow and ice on the way, it's always a good idea to clear the snow off your roof to assure it doesn't cause problems later. Especially important is to clear your gutters, as the packed ice will take longer to thaw but dam off proper drainage as the snow melts on your roof's pitch. Remember, water has to go somewhere, and it is going to go downhill, so if the gutters are dammed of with ice the water has to go into your attic.