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Winter Damage That May Affect Your Roofs

January 16, 2020

Winter is here, and you’re already noticing damage developing on your roof. Thankfully, the best roofing companies Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa has to offer can help. By reaching out to professionals like Community Builders Supply Co., you can learn more about these winter damage types. Even more importantly, you can get them managed in a way that protects you and your home or business investments. This protection is significant for those experiencing any winter-related roof issues.

General Cold Damage

As winter becomes more intense throughout your area, you’re going to experience a lot of issues related to the cold. This concern becomes even more of a problem as the weather worsens and the cold deepens. Unfortunately, the place that gets the most affected is your roof. Often, snow, ice, and intense cold can cause shingle damage that may be hard to manage without professional help on your side.

Thankfully, good roofing companies can help you out here by protecting your home in a variety of ways. For example, they can put up various types of protective items that keep your roof from experiencing any kind of damage. This step includes multiple types of moisture-management tools. These items work by keeping damaging water buildup away from your roof and your home.

Ice Dams

Ice dams are a problem that can occur in just about any home. However, they are more likely to occur on those houses that don’t have excellent insulation on their roof. That’s because heat from the attic can spread upwards and warm up the snow and ice on top of the shingles. When this happens, the water will flow briefly before it refreezes as ice near the colder edges of the roof and stays there.

This problem can cause a backup of snow that will continue to put excess weight on your roof and cause other damage to your shingles. Even worse, the dam may burst and send a flow of snow and ice down to the ground. Those underneath of this dam will get injured by the falling ice and water. And the sliding ice and snow can also cause damage to the roof that is often hard to repair until later when it is warmer.

Attic Moisture Issues

Connected to ice dams is this common issue, which often requires roofing companies to manage properly. Typically, this happens when the ice dam and other types of winter moisture cause excessive moisture inside of your attic. When this happens, a large amount of damage may occur, including generalized rot, issues with mold, and much more. All of these concerns can be a real issue.

Therefore, you need to take the time to properly insulate your roof and eliminate any roof leaks that may contribute to this problem. Ventilation is always essential, as well, because it can keep warm air from causing condensation and also prevent ice dams. So pay attention to this issue and do what you can to ensure that your roof is as secure as possible against this winter danger.

Heavy Snow Buildup

Roofs are typically designed to withstand a large amount of snow buildup that will ensure your home doesn’t get too damaged. However, there is still a good chance that you might get a heavy snowfall that you don’t feel comfortable trying to manage. When this happens, you might end up getting too much snow on your roof. This situation can be very problematic because snow gets very heavy when it is allowed to stack on a roof and may cause strain that triggers other issues.

Therefore, you need to do what you can to manage this problem. Talk to roofing companies near you to see what you can do to get help. These experts will take the time to fully understand how heavy snow has affected your home adversely. Then, they will take the time to repair any damage that may occur as a result of this snow. In this way, they can prevent common damage issues that may contribute to other roofing problems, as mentioned in the next few sections.

Icicle Formation

Icicles may look pretty when they form on your roof. Many people let them grow and nearly touch the ground and may even decorate them with Christmas lights. It would help if you didn’t ignore the dangers of these ice buildups. They are not only potentially deadly if they fall off the roof and hit somebody but can also severely damage your roof by putting excessive strain on them over time. This strain inevitably causes real damage.

Therefore, you may want roof professionals to come to your home to break them off safely and efficiently. You should also see if they can’t transport them away from you to ensure that you don’t have ice lying around your yard. In this way, you can avoid a lot of common problems and may even be able to stop more ice-related damage from spreading on your roof in an uncontrollable manner.

Worsen Other Problems

Lastly, winter is often a time when other roof issues end up getting worse. For example, if you have loose or damaged shingles on your roof, there’s a good chance that the freezing cold of winter will damage them even further. In many cases, you might see snow fall off of your roof at the end of the winter season and notice a bundle of shingles with them. This problem is one that may quickly spread across your roof and become even worse without proper care.

Even worse, damaged shingles may also leave easy access to other areas of your roof, such as the underlayment. When this happens, damage to this area will become more rampant and trigger leaks and other issues. Therefore, you need to talk to roofing companies long before winter ever comes. These experts will get on your building and check for any problems. They can then repair these problems and come back during the winter and after to ensure your home is safe.

Get the Help You Need

All of these issues are easier to manage if you work with the best roofing companies Waterloo and Cedar Falls, Iowa has to offer. So please call us at Community Builders Supply Co. right away to learn more. Our experts have years of experience in this field and will do what is necessary to ensure that you get the roof that you need. When it comes to roof companies, we are one of the best and most trusted in all of Iowa. And you deserve that kind of professional protection for your building.

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