Winter Home Improvements – Is Your Roof Ready?
As the hot summer we’ve been dealing with starts to wind down toward fall, we start getting thoughts of the winter months ahead. For many homeowners in the St Cloud area, that change of season brings about thoughts of home improvement projects that need to get done ASAP. One of those is the roof.
It’s not uncommon for roof damage to occur during the winter months, primarily because of the moisture mixed with the abundance of weight added during the heavy snow seasons. Couple that with ice buildup and it’s easy to see that the roofing of your St Cloud home takes a beating.
The damage is sometimes further compounded by homeowners that try to clean the snow and ice off on their own, taking shovels to the roof in an effort to clear the weight. Not only is it dangerous but you can damage your roof and the protective shingles that keep moisture out. There’s really no shame in leaving this kind of work to professionals and saves you the cost of damage.
If it’s been some time since you had work done on your roof, then this may be an appropriate time to speak with a general contractor about roofing repair or new roof installation. With each passing winter on an aged roof, the chance for greater structural damage increases including moisture getting into the home.
Water damage is only one of many problems. The water can freeze within the walls and cause other structural damage. It can also contribute to mold and rot within the wall space and timbers, creating health and safety issues for those living within the home.
As you heat your home, the water from the melting ice and snow on the roof of your home is going to take the path of least resistance, under the roof system or sideways and through flashings which aren’t designed to handled extreme moisture. This is the beginning of interior water damage or worse.
IF your own roof has seen better days and the age of your St Cloud home and roof system dictate an inspection, it’s a good idea to get the work in before the colder, rainy weather hits preceding winter. If you’re not sure whether or not your home needs a new roof you can contact a St Cloud general contractor and new roofing inspector to help you determine the right path – whether that’s a repair of your existing sheeting, new shingles or a complete installation of a new roofing system.
