Roofing In Winter: Is It A Good Idea?

Sometimes, a roof needs immediate repair, and it can’t wait. If that’s the case, and you’re worried about roofing in winter, rest assured: you don’t have to wait until spring.

As the temperatures start to drop, you’ll think about the roof on your home and whether it will be able to stand up to the winter weather. With rain, wind and snow on the way, can you actually have work done on your roof during the winter?

The answer is yes, you actually can. Here’s what can be done, and what you should do to minimize problems during the colder months.

Why Would I Need Roofing in Winter?

If your roof is already experiencing damage, then winter isn’t going to change that. Over the colder months, that damage will get worse and will still need fixing as soon as possible. Some homeowners think they have to wait till spring, but that isn’t the case at all.

In fact, doing that will make things worse as the damage will just increase over time. Start your roofing in winter to correct the issue before it causes any more problems. Also, you need to consider that issues will crop up during the winter too.

• Ice dams will happen when gutters are blocked and water can’t run away from the roof.
• High winds will lift shingles off the roof, or break them, creating weak spots that water can get through.
• You may even get storms that blow debris onto the roof, causing damage.

If any of this happens, you’ll need to handle it, and quickly. Roofers will always come out to you in the winter if you need help with your roof. Don’t put off the repairs because you think it’s too cold for the problem to be fixed.

Guttering In The Winter

One of the most important parts of your roofing in winter is the gutters. It allows water to roll away from your roof and into the drains. Water is the number one enemy of your roof, so it’s vital that your gutters are working as they should.

In the colder months though, it’s so easy for them to get blocked, or stop working as they should. In fall, you’ll see leaves start to fall from the trees and onto your roof. They find their way into the gutters, blocking them. If they’re left long enough, they will stop water getting away from the roof. This allows water to overflow back onto the roof, eventually leading to leaks and the aforementioned ice dams in the winter.

Luckily, it’s very simple to handle a blocked gutter in the winter.

• You just need to get onto a ladder and start pulling the blockages out of the gutters. All you need to do this is a pair of gloves and a garbage bag.
• If the gutters need to be replaced, roofers can handle this for you in the winter.

The cold weather won’t stop them from attaching them to your home, as they’re most often nailed to the house. The only thing that may impede them is a build up of ice, but this is easily handled. If you want to stop future blockages, it’s a very good idea to install a gutter protection or guard to stop debris from getting in, but still allowing water to flow through.

Installing Shingles In Cold Temperatures

Does missing shingles require roofing in winter to fix them? It’s easy for a few shingles to come away from the roof, leaving it open to leaks, and mold too. Do you have to put up with this all winter?

Some may say you have to wait until spring, but this isn’t always the case. It’s very true that sometimes you can’t install shingles in the winter. The cold temperatures mean that they could crack when they’re installed. Good roofers know that you need those shingles installed ASAP though, so they have methods to stop this from happening.

Firstly, they may keep the shingles in a warm place prior to installation, to ensure that cracking won’t happen. They may also use heating elements to seal the shingles. There are special adhesives that roofers use in the winter too, to ensure that the shingles seal properly.

Find The Right Winter Roofer

You can and will be able to find roofers to handle your roof during the winter. When you’re looking for a contractor, ensure that you’re asking them the right questions. Ask them how many roofs they’ve worked on in the winter months.

Also, ask how they’ll ensure that the shingles seal on your roof. Finally, ask them what temperatures are just too cold for them to work on your roof. If they can answer these questions, they’ll be able to handle any repairs during the colder months.

Preventing Roof Damage During Winter

If you don’t want to have to handle roof repairs during the winter, you can prevent most of them. Follow these tips to help you to keep your roof in good shape this winter:

1. Trim your trees: It’s more important than you’d think to trim trees away from your home. If branches fall down due to bad weather of issues with the tree itself, then they will cause real damage to the roof. Trim the branches back, and remove any trees that are too close to the home.

2. Clear the gutters: This has already been covered above, but it’s important that you clear the gutters out before winter. Allowing water to run away from your roof is vital, especially if it snows this winter.

3. Check your shingles: Take a look at your shingles before the cold weather sets in. Are any loose, or missing? Now is the time to replace them, before it gets too cold to do so. It’s fairly easy to do this yourself, to avoid leaks and other damage in your home.

Conclusion

If you need roofing work done during the winter, you don’t have to wait until spring. You can call on a roofer to help you get it done before the weather warms up again. Find the right roofer and get the job done as soon as you can. Remember, the sooner you fix the problem, the easier it will be.