The topic is everywhere-let’s face it. Winter is coming and energy bills are going to be higher than last year. I don’t like to even say the words Polar Vortex out loud. Insert shiver! Well, we want you to be Warm & Cozy so we created a simple checklist for you to assess before old man winter comes. We already starting preparing you for the electricity shock with a few tips here. But now let’s look at your thermal envelope (roofing, windows, doors) to see if you can save some money this winter and tighten up your home.
Let’s start with top down and look at your roof first. Having a strong lifetime roof over our heads should be our goal and an essential element to feeling safe and secure in our homes. It is often overlooked because it is out of our eye’s reach. Think of it this way. If you had a hole in the side of your house how quickly would you address this? It is with this same urgency that you should fix your roof.
Let’s take a look…While cleaning gutters is a great time to inspect the condition of your roof. These are tell-tale danger signs you need a new roof. It is much less expensive to be proactive with a roof then waiting until you have a problem.
- Leakage in attic: Assess your roof by going into your attic and look for leaks or staining which are sure signs of roof leakage. This can be caused by poor shingle underlayment, improper flashed chimney/skylights/pipes, aged shingles, or drip edge on rakes and fascia.
- Look for Cracked, Missing Shingles and Curling Shingles: This simply means they have reached their lifespan and need to be replaced. You may begin to notice an excessive amount of granules at the base of your gutters after any normal to heavy rain storm.
- Moss and Missing Granules: Shake the gutters. If you hear a maracha sound that is the sound of apshalt granules which is a sign of a deteriorating roof. You may also see a lot of them at the base of your gutters after a rain storm. Check those areas if you see an excessive amount.
- Blistering Paint on Exterior Walls: After you check out your attic, walk around your house and see if you can spot any areas of excessive cracking on the exterior of your home. This can be a sign attributed to high levels of moisture being trapped in attic spaces due to inadequate ventilation. Also, look out for mold or mildew growth (I told you this is a big concern of mine!) along the interior ceiling lines. Both are signs of poor ventilation.
Roofs get so much damage from winter storms and nor’easters. The most common complaint we hear at Coastal is Ice Dams. Ice dams as you may recall can cause a lot of damage with a huge concern being water coming back into your home causing mold and mildew. Ice dams can be prevented by having proper ice and water shield. At Coastal Windows & Exteriors we provide double that is required, 6’ to make sure the home stays dry. For now, make sure you use the snow rake we talked about last year as you need to keep the snow off of your roof.
Now that you know what to watch out for with your roof, contact us if you have any questions and we can assess your roof danger signs, as well as if & when you need to replace your roofing system. You can reach us here or call us at 888-812-2783 for your FREE roof assessment. I don’t want you to be out in the cold this winter. Call me with any questions.
Stephanie
