Winter Roofing Tips

With the mercury falling and weather beginning to take a nasty turn, it is extremely important to go the extra mile when it comes to protecting your roofing investment. Here are a few tips to keep your roof system in champion condition:

1. After strong winds or heavy rains, keep roof drains and scuppers free flowing by removing debris left on your roof.

2. Check your HVAC access panels to verify that they are in place and securely fastened.

3. Once snow and ice do arrive, periodically check for ice damming along your gutters and around the roof drains. Ice dams can prevent water from draining properly. Gradually, water can force its way through any minor roof deficiencies and seep into your building.

4. After strong winds, inspect your roof for membrane uplift especially at perimeters and elevation changes. Also inspect for displacement of ballast, fascias and sheet metal flashings.

5. On metal roofing and siding systems, inspect for fastener and panel uplift or distortion.

6. After strong wind-driven rains, consider that some leaks may be the result of imperfections in the non-roofing portion of the building envelope such as masonry, glazing and coping - even open windows, broken skylights or overflow plumbing.

7. Avoid shoveling snow off your roof. If you think there may be a structural problem with your roof, seek some advice from a professional.