Fall, is especially an essential time to inspect your roof to see if it’s ready for winter weather. Heavy loads of snow and ice can severely damage your home’s roof. Be prepared and have your residential roof inspected before the temperature drops with these fall roof maintenance tips.

Clean gutters

Another fall roof inspection task to be done is cleaning the gutters in your home. When the leaves fall and rainy weather arrives, the water won’t be able to drain properly if the gutters are clogged. Clogged gutters can cause water to overflow, leading to cracks, mold and even potential damage to the basement and foundation of your home. Be sure to remove any fall leaves and unwanted debris frequently during this time of year, especially if there are multiple trees around your property. If the gutters aren’t cleaned before winter, debris and water can freeze meaning, melted snow can drip water through the roof. Help prevent this possible water damage by cleaning gutters and eavestrough this fall.

Broken or loose shingles

When inspecting your roof, look for broken or loose shingles. These shingles will need to get repaired as soon as possible. If you put repairing off until spring, there could be a chance the winter elements could cause further damage to the roof.

Chimney cracks

Your chimney should be inspected at least once a year during the fall. Look to see if there are any cracks or crevices that may have appeared over time. Make sure there is no damage to any mortar or roof flashing.

With winter weather on its way, you’ll want to make sure your chimney is clean and in good working condition in order to curl up the warm and ambient fireplace. For more on cleaning your chimney, read our Chimney Cleaning & Maintenance Procedures post.

Missing Caulk

Identify if there is any missing caulking or if there are holes in old caulk that could cause a leaky roof. When it comes to leaky roofs, it’s recommended to fix them sooner rather than later to avoid any mold, rotting wood or ruined insulation. To help prevent this, missing or cracked caulking can be removed, scrubbed clean and be sealed with new roofing caulk.

Roof interior

Not only should you inspect the exterior of your roof, but the interior side of your roof needs looking after as well. Keep an eye out for any mold that might have been caused by moisture, signs of water damage, peeling wallpaper or outside light coming through. Also, look at the roof sheathing for any cracks or traces of rotting. If any sheathing has been damaged, it can cause structural damage to your roof. If you notice the sheathing is in need of repair, you can contact a licensed roofing contractor.

Continue to maintain your roof in order to prevent potential problems from arising and protect your home and loved ones. Review your home insurance policy or contact one of our licensed insurance advisors to further learn about roof coverage.

Related posts

Winter Roofing: How to Prevent Roof Collapses

How to Fix a Leaky Roof

Home updates for the Winter Weather