Spring Roof Inspection Will Catch Damages Caused by Winter Weather
Welcome Spring! Time For Spring Roof Maintenance
It has been a long hard winter and Minnesotans are so ready for sunshine and clear skies! It’s the time when everything comes alive, when the deadness of winter springs up into new life. What once seemed dead is coming back to life with anticipation of beautiful colors and fragrant smells. Aaaahhh!
While spring has begun, so do the heavy rains. Before you have one big mess on the roof, take a moment to clean out your gutters, drains, and any debris left behind on the roof from winter. It’s true, you will have to do it again come summer, but to eliminate the debris will enable the water to flow away from the house and not settle in unwanted places. It is also a good idea to make sure the penetrations that come through your roof are secure. Sometimes chimney caps get loosened and caulking on chimneys and vents crack and come loose. Also make sure your vents are open and not smashed down from animals or the winter snows so that air can pass through and not block the ventilation system.
A Do It Yourself Spring Tips for Checking Your Roof and Gutters
As I was getting ready to go to work, I noticed water running over the gutters and onto the sidewalk. It was obvious that I needed to clean out the gutters now that the spring rains have begun. Later that day, I went into the garage and got my ladder to climb up to the roof. Sure enough, there was plenty of debris such as leaves clogging up the gutters.
My check on the roof didn’t stop there. Before the water started to overflow, the leaves and dirt had to go somewhere. As the leaves and dirt traveled down the gutter it found an opening…the down spout. At first, the down spout served its purpose by helping to direct the water off the roof and away from the house. However as more leaves and dirt began to build, it was too much at one time and clogged at the mouth of the down spout as well as accumulated inside of the down spout toward the base. So I cleaned the down spout and ensured there was no debris throughout.
While I was up on the ladder to the gutters and roof, I took the time to check if there was any damage done to the ends of the shingles or to the gutters. We’ve had plenty of heavy snow this year, it’s important to check that everything is in good working order.
Next I went to inspect the vents. Be sure they are not smashed and they are in good condition. This is very important to check. As the months continue to get hotter with summer soon approaching, you need to have proper ventilation.
I made my way to the power fans. I’m mostly checking if the motor is still running or if it burnt out. If it’s running properly, perfect, leave it alone. If it’s not running, then it needs to be replaced. This is not something I would recommend doing on your own.
A checkup on your roof system in the fall and spring will help diagnose potential problems early. Let a Minnesota Roofing Contractor do it for you. You want to ensure it’s sealed properly so leaks don’t occur and that the motor is running efficiently.
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