With the harsh winter already upon us, it would be an excellent budget-friendly home investment to make an effort to protect our roofs from it. This preparation requires only a thorough roof examination to prevent potential damage. Indeed, after facing lockdowns due to the ongoing pandemic, we have a lot of free time at home on our hands – so why not use it to prevent floods in our home, and unnecessary cold air from entering?

We’ve all developed numerous hobbies during lockdowns that we could carry out online. For example, enthusiastic gamers searched for the best and fast Rocket League boosting to enhance the performance of their favourite games on their consoles. Others started reading more, or clearing out the clutter from their attics. But such pastimes can be placed aside to make room for winter roof preparation. Let’s see how.

Here are the top three ways you can examine your roof and prepare it for the winter yourself:  

Examine the attic and the roof flashing, and install a ventilation system

Examining the attic to prevent formations of ice dams should be your first step. After you make sure there’s no possible water damage or unnecessary waste of energy from the attic, you should install a ventilation system. A ventilation system will lower your energy bills by preventing energy waste. Additionally, examine all roof flashings, as they are the ones preventing the water from entering your house. Roof flashings are always located at the roof’s intersections. 

Examine the shingles of your roof and trim the trees around your house

The shingles of your roof are equally important as roof flashing. You should inspect whether they have become loose and whether some of them are missing. Granules, twigs, debris, and leaves in your gutters are the first sign of loose shingles. Trimming the trees around your house will prevent your gutters from getting full of this debris. During a storm, long limbs of trees can create a hazard to your house, which is why trimming them is an essential step. 

Clean your gutters regularly 

When debris gets accumulated in your gutters, it will clog. Remember that the primary function of your gutters is to lead the water away from your house. Unless you inspect and clear them, you can face leaks, water pooling, and ice dam formations. Installing a gutter guard would be a good way to go as they can limit the accumulation of branches, twigs, and leaves in your gutters. 

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