With an average snowfall of 56.5 inches, Denver Metro gets it’s fair share of winter weather. While it may be beautiful to experience and you may feel cozy inside your home, the winter season can take a toll on your roof.
Throughout the winter months, your roof will fall victim to various amounts of wind, snow, ice, and continual thaw-freeze conditions. Whether it is ice dams, heavy snow accumulation, improper snow removal techniques, or water damage from thaw-freezes, the combination of these elements over the course of the winter months inevitably weakens your roof.
Most homeowners fail to realize the importance of a roof inspection immediately after winter, as the damage caused is often not acute and apparent like other types of damage such as hail, or falling debris.
If preventative measures have not been taken, the effects of improper insulation or ventilation, a factor exclusive to the winter months may shorten the lifespan of your roofing system.
Furthermore, unnoticed winter roof damage can lead to more serious issues in the future, such as corrosion, water infiltration, mildew and mold growth, and critter infestation.
When your roof becomes damaged, you’ll need to seek out ice, snow + rain damage roof repair or replacement services. First, you will need to either do a preliminary damage check yourself just after winter or schedule a Free Inspection with an expert.
Some of the most common types of winter roof damage include:
Snow Damage to Roofs
Snow damage is most common in two forms, snow buildup and improper snow removal. Snow may accumulate well over the load-bearing capacity of the roof, causing bowed ceilings, creaks, cracks above windows and doors, and in the worst case a roof collapse. In order to prevent this, it is important to properly remove snow accumulation throughout the winter. However, many homeowners unknowingly cause more issues, damaging shingles with shovels or deteriorating the roofing material by using rock salt or calcium chloride to try and melt the snow.
Ice Damage to Roofs
When snowmelt runs down to the edges of the building and a sudden drop in temperature occurs the melted snow is forced to refreeze, causing ice to accumulate in the eaves of your house, called an “ice dam”. This effect can block runoff water behind the dam which can leak into a home and cause damage to walls, ceilings, insulation and other areas.
Water Damage to Roofs
When ice dams have formed, they will cause further rainwater to back up, resulting in the exploitation of leak prone areas and the creation of new leakage points. Your home’s wall, ceiling, floors, and electrical wirings become at risk and the potential for mildew and mold growth drastically increases.
Poor Roof Ventilation + Insulation
Poor roof ventilation and attic insulation can cause excessive water to accumulate on the wooden structures of your roof, deteriorting the entire roofing system. Over the winter months, when the cold outside air meets the warm inside air, condensation occurs, causing mildew and mold to grow as well.
Not sure if you need a new roof? Ask yourself these questions:
Are your window screens damaged from the last hail storm?
Is the answer is yes, there’s a pretty good chance your roof took the brunt of the storm as well. Depending on the kind of roofing materials used on your house, hail damage to roofs in Denver can range from minor cosmetic issues to serious problems with structural integrity. Sometimes it can be hard to tell whether the damage is substantial or minor. Furthermore, initial damage that may look minor can lead to more serious issues in the future, such as corrosion or water infiltration.
Are there hail granules in your driveway or in your yard?
If so, hail probably bounced off your roof. When your roof becomes damaged, you’ll need to seek out hail damage roof repair or replacement services. First, you will need to either do a preliminary hail damage check yourself or schedule a Free Inspection with an expert.
Do you see splatter in wood siding, dents in metal siding, cracks or chips in plastic siding?
If yes, then you may want to have your roof inspected for hail damage. Hail capable of damaging siding is likely between one and two inches in diameter, or roughly the size of a walnut. A piece of hail this size has the ability to damage not only your roofing material, but also the wood under your shingles.
Do you see coffee stains in your ceilings or have leaks when it rains?
Coffee stains on your ceilings are a sure sign of a leak. While this could be a leaky pipe, it is far more likely that you have a hole in your roof. An free inspection will find the leak and determine the best plan of action going forward.
Have your neighbors started replacing their roofs?
If yes, then your roof may be due for replacement. Most neighborhoods tend to be on a similar replacement cycle meaning when one neighbor is due for replacement, so are others. Don’t get stuck with the oldest roof in the neighborhood! Give use a call to see if it’s time for a new roof today.