4 Ways Winter Can Damage Your Roof

As the winter season ends, you should be aware of the potential damage it can cause to your roof. Winter weather can be harsh and unforgiving, especially for your home's roof. Knowledge of how winter affects your roof can help you notice signs of trouble or avoid them altogether. In this blog article, we'll discuss how winter can damage your roof and what you can do to protect it.



1. Snow Buildup

Heavy snowfall can cause shingles to shatter or slide off the roof, which can leave your house open to leaks and other types of damage. In addition, continuous snowfall can add layers of snow on the roof, put additional strain on the roof components, and harm its structural integrity.

After a significant snowfall, always check your roof and clear it of any accumulated snow. This concern is much higher for homeowners with flat roofs, as the snow cannot fall by itself. Hire a roofer for assistance if the snow is too thick to remove on your own.

2. Winter Storms

Roofs can suffer severe damage from strong winter gusts even if they were in good condition before the storm. Wintertime temperature variations and cold fronts can produce strong winds that lift, twist, and curl shingles. Sometimes, the winds have adequate velocity to completely blow off the shingles from the roof.

After severe weather, take additional care to inspect your roof. If you detect any areas of damage, contact a qualified roofing contractor. Also, consider how you can strengthen your roof with tougher shingles or sticky sealants to avert further damage.

3. Ice and Icicles

Winter's frigid temperatures can cause icicles and ice to develop on your roof. Ice dams develop when your roof eaves impede the flow of melted snow and its cooler temperatures cause the melted snow to refreeze. This ice accumulation may cause water to seep behind your shingles. This moisture can harm the materials in your roof and result in leaks, mildew, mold, and rot.

Icicles that form similarly can cause your gutters to collapse, split, or pull away from your house by adding additional weight and stress to them.

Use calcium chloride deicer and place long socks, tights, or pantyhose around the roof's edge to prevent and remove ice dams and icicles. Also, use an ice dam removal tool to shatter the ice into little bits.

Increase the ventilation and insulation in your attic, install soffit and ridge vents to allow for more airflow, add insulation to keep warm air in, seal corners with flashing, and add weather stripping to openings like attic hatches as a preventative measure.

Moreover, ensure that you clear out your gutters of any debris before it gets cold and monitor them when it gets cold to make sure no dangerous ice builds up. If ice dams develop, you can transfer the water away from your home by melting the ice using a heated gutter wire.

4. Trees

Branches and limbs from trees can break off in high winds and severe weather and fall onto your roof. Moreover, the added strain from snow and ice can cause fragile branches to break. This debris can crack shingles, damage your gutters, or even collapse a roof section. 

Trim back any huge overhanging branches or limbs to avoid such damage. Alternatively, call a neighboring tree service to have any possibly dangerous trees removed. Remove excessive ice and snow on tree branches whenever you can to prevent snap-offs and breaks. If your roof gets damaged, secure the affected area and engage a roofing expert to fix it.

Severe winter damage will necessitate quick repairs, restorations, or a new installation to resuscitate your roof. Contact us at United Roofing LLC for roofing services within Washington D.C.