Seasonal responsibilities are the scourge of every homeowner’s “to-do” list. During spring and summer, seasonal chores can keep you from enjoying the nice weather; during fall and winter, they impede your ability to spend time with family or prep for the holidays. And while you might hate having to take care of these annual tasks, it’s important to realize that there’s a great good behind them all—especially something like prepping your roofing for the upcoming winter months.
Fall and winter roofing prep is by far one of the most hated seasonal chores, but not coincidently, it’s also one of the most beneficial. Taking the time to make sure your roofing in Calgary is ready to stand up to the upcoming months of inclement weather means having peace of mind that you’re not in for major home repairs come spring.
Not sure what prepping your roofing entails or if you’re missing anything when it comes to this encompassing chore? No problem! We’re breaking everything down into a quick step-by-step guide, to make the process quicker, easier and more effective for you. With any luck, this list will help expedite your chores and get you back to peaceably enjoying the holiday season.
Gutters and downspouts
Be sure to clean your gutters or have them professionally cleaned. This is the most time-intensive part of preparing your roofing in Calgary and unfortunately, one that can come with the most danger as well. Make sure, if you’re doing it yourself, that you have a partner holding the ladder steady and that you’re being careful to not damage your gutters while you extract leaves, twigs and other debris.
Once you’re done with the gutters, check that downspouts are also clear and that they’re pointed away from your home. Test them by slowly pouring a bucket of water into the gutter and tracing its path to the drain.
Cleaning up your gutters and downspouts will help keep snow and ice from piling up on your roof, which can cause ice damming and other issues that will come to affect your roof.
Shingles and flashings
Once the hard work of cleaning your gutters and downspouts is out of the way, prepping your roofing in Calgary becomes infinitely easier—it’s all about observing and reporting damages or concerns to a roofing contractor, who will put in the labor for you! Here are a few areas to inspect and assess for any imperfections:
- Make sure there are no patches of missing shingles on your roof.
- Make sure there are no rusted flashings or missing areas of flashing.
- Make sure a chimney cap is in place and there are no visible damages to your chimney.
- Check any mounted items—like satellite dishes—for damage around the mounts.
- Make sure there are no items laying on your roof, natural or otherwise.
If you notice any peculiarities when inspecting your roof, make a note and call a roofing contractor to come and resolve them. If left unattended or not remediated before the winter season sets in, you could be looking at costly damages in the long run.
Chimney care
The last thing to do—and it’s optional based on if you have a fireplace or not—is to have a chimney sweep clean your chimney. Because this is the only portion of your roof that actually touches all levels of your home, making sure it’s free of creosote and debris (fire hazards) is imperative.
It’s a lot of work to prep your roofing for the winter season, but it’s well worth it when you consider the major headaches you’re saving yourself when it comes to dealing with any wintertime damages!