Four Signs Your Roof Might Suffer Damage this Winter
Fall is the best time of the year to make sure that your roof is ready for the coming winter. If you fail to inspect and identify potential risks now it will be much harder to repair them later after the snow begins to fall. Here are four ways that you can determine whether or not your roof might be at risk, and if so, get some Billings roof repair in advance to prevent a winter disaster.
1: Check for Damage or Decay
The best way to find out how much snow your roof will be able to handle is to inspect for decay and damage under the roof structure. Start by looking in the attic, underneath the roof, for obvious signs of decay. The visible signs include mold and mildew on the underside of the roof, black streaks, or water streaks that might indicate a leak.
2: Ask About Snow Load
You can also talk to your Billings, MT construction contractor to find out the load that your roof can handle. Ten inches of snow on the roof will exert about five pounds per square foot of pressure on the roof. In a place like Billings where snow totals can often be higher than in other areas, roofing is often designed to hold even more pounds per square foot of pressure. Find out whether your roof is in good shape and what it can handle before the snow comes.
3: Damaged Shingles or Rust
Of course you should inspect the roof itself for potential damage. Look for curling, buckling, or missing shingles and check the areas around protrusions for rust on the metal flashing. If you see these signs, contact a professional Billings roofing contractor right away to get it fixed.
4: Overstressed Roof
A final potential warning sign that your roof might not make it through the winter is an overstressed roofing structure. You can inspect it on your own or hire a Billings roofing contractor to do it for you. The most obvious signs are a sagging roof, or the sounds of popping and cracking from the inside. Roof damage might manifest in ways you might not expect, such as doors or windows that have become difficult to open and close. Cracked walls inside the home or split wood could also be a problem with the roof, so if you see these signs make sure you talk to a roofing contractor in Billings right away.
Fixing potential problems now is important to make sure your home and your roof can make it through the winter weather without any significant issues.
