5 Simple Ways To Maintain Your Roof In January

It’s January! Wow, seems so sudden, right? Where did the holidays drift off to so quickly? From Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s and everything in between and here we are again facing one of the coldest months of the year. Well, that depends on what part of the country you reside in. Around these parts in St. Charles County, in the heart of the Midwest, getting snow is about as frequent as hitting the lottery jackpot. We haven’t seen a crazy winter in quite some time although for other parts of the country blizzards are swarming those areas.

January is a cold month for the vast majority of the United States and can create problems for your roof if you don’t attend to it adequately. That’s like anything else though. You have to put forth an effort to maintain it in a cordial fashion to preserve its durability and longevity.

What can you do to maintain your roof in January?

How can you ensure its durability and longevity?

Again, depending on which parts of the country you reside in and the severity of weather you can use any and all of these simple ways to maintain your roof properly in the month of January.

Tip #1: Get a Roof Inspection ASAP

Sure, you Google’d a few things on roof maintenance and might think you’re educated enough to know what to look for. This is what most people will do mainly due to potential additional costs they don’t want to incur. In the grand scheme of things though, you won’t ask a plumber to do a mechanic’s job and vice versa. It makes sense!

Schedule your FREE roof inspection today

Inspecting your roof by a professional roofing contractor in St. Charles County or in your area for that matter is the best first initial step to take. Your roof might be a great condition during the January month. On the flip side of that though it might be in a terrible state only to find out that it needs some work. Talk about impeccable timing!

Tip #2: Remove The Snow

We get it. The snow is picture-perfect and looks pretty. Just because it’s pretty though doesn’t mean that it’s good for your roof and in fact, it’s not in many ways.

Snow adds massive amounts of weight on your roof. Approximately 2 feet of snow can equate to 19 tons of additional weight to your roof. That is an excessive amount of added weight to your roof that will most certainly put a ton of unnecessary pressure on it.
Ice will build up underneath the layers of snow over time as temperatures plunge. That’s something you most definitely want to take care of and avoid sheets of ice building up.
The snow on your roof will freeze and harden up. Then it becomes even heavier and more dangerous not only to your roof but you as well.

Nobody likes snow removal. It’s cold, timely, and involves grunt work that most people don’t want to do. Although, would you rather spend 1-2 hours clearing the roof from your snow or potentially incurring thousands of dollars worth of roof damage or necessity for a new roof? You can pick up a snow roof rake to help you with snow removal. It’s affordable and something that you can work with.

Tip #3: Inspect for Roof Flashing and Loose Parts

Winter and snow can be brutal to most roofs. Snow is most definitely damaging if you live in an area with heavy snowfall. Even without snow though, excessive plunging temperatures and high winds can also damage your roof. Having said that, inspect your roof for flashing. There’s actually quite a bit that goes into this that most people are unaware of.

Vent pipes are of critical importance to avoid leaks into your actual roof.
Skylights can be damaged or also cause leaks that require attention.
Chimneys, snow, ice, and water getting in can also pose danger.

Getting educated on roof flashing will help you adequately tackle the maintenance of your roof during the month of January. Essentially that will also assist with the longevity and durability of the actual roof which can keep more dollars and cents in your bank account longer.

Who doesn’t like to hold onto some cash a little longer, right?

Tip #4: Check the Attic

A lot of people aren’t particularly concerned with the attic section of their house. If you’re actively using it to store Christmas decorations, old clothes, or anything of such then that’s the exception of the rule. In cold months like January, it’s especially important to give that attic section a little bit more attention if you haven’t been there in a little while.

Is there enough insulation? It can wear out and get warped over time but in cold months it’s important to ensure you have enough insulation there.
How is the ventilation in your attic? Insulation coincides with your attic’s ventilation. Is air getting through? If not, you’ll want to put some attention to this.
Do you see any visible damage on the inside? From the outside, it’s hard to see if your roof has any damage underneath the shingles. However, being in the attic you can pinpoint more easily any damage to your roof. Things like holes, rotten wood, etc. will only be visible from the attic section of your house.

Getting a thorough roof inspection if you live in the St. Charles County area or by a qualified roofing company in your area is once again the best all-around option for you. When it comes to the attic section, a qualified roofing contractor will know what to look for in ensuring that your roof retains its longevity and durability.

Tip #5: Make an Action Plan

You might think that your roof is in a great shape but that is far from the reality. The median age of a home in the U.S. is between 37 and 58 years of age. Homes in the Northeast tend to be elder spanning up to 58 of age. Homes in younger states such as Nevada, Arizona, and Texas are between 20 to 25 years in age.

The lifespan of a roof can be between 20 and 30 years depending on the type of roof that it is. Like anything else, durability and lifespan is contingent upon maintenance. In other words, if you fail to regularly inspect and maintain your roof, it’s highly unlikely that it will last that long. In order to ensure that your roof will withstand the test of time, consider making that action plan.

Get that roof inspection you might’ve been putting off for a while.
Remove any snow as mentioned above to alleviate any possible tension on your roof.
Check for roof flashing. It’s really a thing!
Inspect your attic. Especially if you haven’t been up there in a while.

Conclusion

The January month can be treacherous to a roof. Especially for a roof in areas of the U.S. where there is excessive amounts of snowfall. Here in the Midwest and in the St. Charles County area specifically there isn’t an excessive amount of snow. However, the durability and lifespan of your roof heavily relies on regular maintenance to ensure it withstands the test of time.

Give us a call today at (636) 699-0449 or request your free inspection today. If you’re in the St. Charles County area and looking for an experienced roofing and siding contractor, we are bringing forth over 20 years of experience in the roofing industry. That’s something you can trust and especially if we’re in your neck of the woods.