Winter is hard on a shingle roof, but there are ways you can help it survive not only the cold weather but the hot weather and storms of Georgia summers. Here are a few maintenance tips.

Have Your Roof Inspected

It’s always good to have a professional roof contractor inspect your roof once a year. However, given the stresses of the season, winter is probably the best time for a professional to take a look at your roof and fix small problems before they become too expensive.

Make Sure Your Attic Is Insulated

Insulating your attic not only helps warm your home during the winter, but it also lowers the risk of ice dams. Ice dams happen after a snowstorm. The snow melts, slides down your roof and then freezes when temperatures drop. This forms the ice dam. It can be problematic because the water behind the dam has nowhere to go and seeps beneath your roof shingles. This can cause leaks inside your walls, which can lead to serious damage.

Defeat the Freeze-Thaw Cycle

The freeze-thaw cycle can stress a roof to the point where cracks develop in the shingles and/or the flashing, which is the protective metal around the chimney or in the valleys. A roofer can look for these cracks and repair them with weatherproof sealant.

Clean Gutters in Advance of Winter

If your home has gutters, fall is the time when they can really fill up with debris. This debris includes falling leaves, acorns, twigs and even animal nests. Make sure your gutters are cleaned out well before temperatures go below freezing. If gutters fill up with trash and water and then freeze, they can become so heavy that they tear away from your house. Even if the water doesn’t freeze, the trash can cause it to slosh back onto the roof. There, water can form an ice dam or leak into your house. Besides keeping the gutter clean, have a professional put up gutter guards. These guards keep debris from building up to problematic levels.

Remove Snow the Right Way

Even Georgia has winters where it snows. The trick is not to let the snow accumulate by taking it down with a roof rake. You only need to remove the snow around the edges of your roof, so you won’t have to climb up.

Remove Overhanging Tree Branches

Tree branches burdened with snow or ice are hazards, especially if they’re hanging over your roof. They can break and damage your roof or gutters. Have an arborist trim overhanging branches, whether they’re dead or alive.

Call Us for Tips on Shingle Roof Care

Your roof protects you from the weather, and it’s your job to protect it in turn. If you need help with maintaining your roof’s shingles in Atlanta, Georgia, get in touch with our roofing specialists at Findlay Roofing.