The roof protects your home from the top to the bottom. Before the cold weather approaches it is necessary that you have a professional roofing contractor inspect the roof and provide any roofing repairs. As winter approaches the only defense against the harsh weather is your roof. It is important that you find a professional roofer who is trained in ladder safety and can work at heights. Have your roof maintained, inspected, and winterized by the professionals at Deegan Roofing.
Winterizing a Roof in NJ
The fall season is the optimal time to have your roof checked, since dealing with the winter weather can hinder your repair efforts. In order for you to get your roof ready for the winter make sure you check the attic for insulation and ventilation problems. Having your gutters cleaned before the frost hits will make it easier for you to spot areas that need repair.
Fall Gutter
In the Northern United States autumn is a time where the leaves fall. Beautiful leaves turn into debris clogging gutters. Rain gutters are more important than you might realize. Though they can add a nice decorative element to your home, their primary purpose is to prevent mold, mildew, and other water damage. Gutters keep your home safe by directing rainwater away from your siding and foundation.
After the majority of the leaves fall on your property it is advised to clean out the gutters, if you do not know how, you could hire a professional at Deegan Roofing. When cleaning out the gutters the professional roofing contractor will be able to spot signs of animal and pest infestations. Then, you might have to call pest control to take care of the infestations for safety reasons.
Gutters are installed under the edge of your roof to catch rainwater as it streams down your roof’s surface. The gutters then direct water to the edge of your roof and into vertical sectionals called downspouts. Often, downspouts dispense the water into drainage systems or extensions that relocate the water away from your home’s foundation. Water seeping into the foundation can cause mold and mildew in the basement. You can also design an eco-friendly gutter system that channels the water into tanks for gardening during dry seasons. The gutters of your house may need more than just a routine cleaning, the Deegan roofing contractor will assess the gutters to see if they are leaky, saggy or misaligned.
Before Winter Roof Inspection
Roof leaks are preventable by having regular inspections and keeping up with the necessary roofing services to maintain your roof. Spring is a good time to have a Deegan professional roofing contractor to come inspect your roof before the rainy season starts. Regular checkups are smart and a good investment to increase the lifespan of your roof. Fall is a great time to have a Deegan professional come look at your roof, there is a lot of availability as the summer is a busy time for roofing contractors. Winter is a difficult time for inspection in the Northern United States since snow and ice cover the roof.
A roofing inspection should be a thorough examination of the roof. The roofing inspection should examine shingles, flashing, valleys, gutters, sealant and signs of damage. The Deegan professional will inspect the roofs shingles for missing, damaged and improper installations. The flashing or the thin metal piece that surround certain features of a roof to stop leaks, will be checked to see if it is bent or has damage to it. The valleys of the roof will be checked to see if they are damaged or installed properly, during the winter it is a very vulnerable place. Lastly, in most cases homeowners have asphalt sealant which keep the roofing features in place, the roofing contractor will examine the area to make sure there is enough sealant and that nothing is dried out or cracked.
Attic Ventilation and Insulation
The heat that escapes from your attic will make the shingles on your roof curl, which forms ice dams when the heat melts and refreezes the snow on your roof. If not taken care of it can contribute to ice dams on the roof, which will cause water damage and energy waste. If the attic is not properly insulated and there is no proper ventilation, heat will escape out of the attic. As a result, this will increase your utility bill and heating needs. It is important that you check your attics insulation and make sure there is even distribution, and the ventilation system allows the air to circulate. The attic is an important part of your roofing inspection.
By allowing the cold air under the roof’s surface, you won’t have the snow melting and creating that river of water beneath the frozen snow. Another way to prevent ice damming is to have a qualified roofer install ice dam prevention material on the roof. A two-foot-wide swath of waterproofing membrane is installed around the perimeter of the roof. With that membrane installed, if any melt-water escapes beneath the shingles, the roof’s waterproof barrier will remain intact. One more option is to install heating cables on the roof, to form a path for melted snow to travel through an ice dam. But heating coils can burn out and are not easily regulated.
Winterizing a Roof in NJ
In terms of wear and tear on buildings, winter is the harshest season of the year. Snow accumulation and ice damming on roofs can be a major headache, pipes freezing and bursting could spell disaster, and just about any accumulation of water means trouble. Especially during the winter, but really throughout the year, the roof should never be ignored. If left unattended, problems with a roof can affect the building’s façade, structure and foundation.
Contact Us
Family-owned and operated, Deegan Roofing Company has been installing and servicing residential and commercial roofing customers in the New Jersey area for over 30 years. If you are concerned about your roof surviving the upcoming winter weather or are currently experiencing roofing problems, it’s never too late to contact Deegan Roofing to get your roof inspected before winter. Website https://www.deeganroofing.com/ Address: 345 Terrill Rd, Scotch Plains, NJ 07076 Hours: Open 8:30 AM ⋅ Closes 5:30 PM
Phone: (908) 322-6405