Your home’s roof provides its primary defense against the elements. For that reason, it makes sense to have your roof be in good condition and performing like it should be. Unfortunately, a harsh winter like the one we have just been through, can take a real toll on roofing materials. In some areas of the country, roofs were subjected to ice, snow, and prolonged cold like they have never before been subjected to.
So, how do you know whether the winter weather was damaging to your roof? We have several suggestions:
1) From your attic, inspect the underside of your roof deck for dark spots and dampness. These will likely indicate leaks.
2) Inspect your attic insulation for high moisture content. High moisture can mean leaks, or poor ventilation, and it is damaging the effectiveness of your insulation.
3) If you saw frost on the nails sticking through your roof deck this winter, or on the back side of the roof decking itself, that indicates excessive moisture in your attic (which could be caused by leaks from the living space) as well as inadequate ventilation.
4) Look for shingles that have lifted up. This can be caused by cold, wind, ice, and/or snow. These shingles will likely not “seal back down” and return to their intended level of integrity and protection.
5) Look for missing shingles or badly cracked shingles. Winter time thermal cycling can cause shingles to fail in this manner.
6) If you had actual ice dams on your roof, whether you experienced leaks or not, the shingles have sustained some damage. If you did have leaks, then the damage likely needs to be addressed. Please remember that ice damming is caused by inadequate attic ventilation and insulation, roof geometry, weather conditions, and air leaks from the living space to the attic.
If you are inspecting your roof and have questions, please call us at 314-596-0596. You can also contact us via email (photos of your roof are always helpful in analyzing potential problems) at [email protected].
