The weather has dropped significantly over the last couple of weeks and homeowners have begun their annual home maintenance routines. Whether it’s draining the pool or packing away the lawn furniture, there always seems like there is so much to do in such little time.
One of the most important things to maintain before the winter arrives is the roof that covers your home. As one of your biggest investments, you want to make sure your home is well protected all year long. A surprise leak or ice damming during the winter months is not something any homeowner wants to deal with.
Professional Roofers recommends you do the following before the snow arrives:
- Get Insulated
Having attic insulation in your home is very much like covering it with a blanket to keep it warm. Proper insulation will stabilize temperatures, cut your heating/cooling costs and keep you and your family comfortable all year long.
Proper attic insulation is definitely a make or break situation when it comes to the winter months. You never want to have to crank the heating or bundle up in more layers while you’re sitting around the house. This ends up being very costly, especially for those who have larger spaces and multiple floors to heat.
Before the fall season concludes, reach out to your local roofing company in Toronto and have them check your home for proper attic insulation. You want to make sure your insulation is reaching a high enough R-Value that it traps the heat inside.
- Clean your gutters
The purpose of having gutters around your home is to collect and redirect water, snow, tree debris and more from sitting on the rooftop. Water is your homes natural enemy. You don’t want it in your basement, ceiling, around the foundation or anywhere where it can potentially cause damage.
As a roofing company who had been in the business for over 20 years, we have seen many cases where poor gutter maintenance is the leading cause for roof leakage. Twigs, leaves and other debris often build up and block the drainage system which prevents water from draining through. In the winter, this water and debris freezes and heavily damages the aluminum, roof and foundation around your home.
Professional Roofers recommends cleaning your eavestroughs at least every Spring and Fall to prevent any damage. These are the seasons when homeowners will find the most debris build up throughout the gutter system.
- Roof tune-up
Your roof needs regular maintenance checks, just like we need Doctors check up. At Professional Roofers, we call this a “Roof Tune-Up”. For a small fee, our experienced team will visit your property and check that your roof is ready to go for the winter season. This includes replacing any missing or damaged shingles, loose metal flashing, worn out caulking and other repairs that may be necessary.
- Install Heating Cables
The winter weather throughout Ontario seems to get worse as each year passes. A lot of Canadian homeowners have begun to install heating cables around the perimeter of the roof to better equip their home for this harsh weather.
Heating cables are wires that sit atop of your roof and produce heat. These cables are used for many things such as base floor heating and pipe freeze protection. When installed on your roof, the heating cables will melt snow, prevent ice dams and prevent ice build up in the valleys and overhangs. These heating cables are very common, easy to have installed and simple for homeowners to operate. If you are interested in learning more, contact us for a free, no obligation assessment and quote.
In the end, following these simple maintenance tasks will save you stress and money on future home repairs. Why wait until after the damage occurs when you can prevent it from happening? Stay up to date with your chores and get the most out of your home!