It’s January. You’re cozied up on the couch with your family, watching the news. The weatherman is reporting a huge blizzard—and it’s coming your way.

Or maybe it’s August, and a tropical depression is coming up from the Gulf. You’re starting to worry about the severe weather ahead, and whether or not your home is prepared.

Why worry? There are simple steps you can take to prepare your home for severe weather. It’s the best way to prevent expensive roof damage, and keep your home in one piece.

Read on to learn more about what you can do to prep your roof for inclement weather.

Maintenance

The best offense is a good defense, and this couldn’t be truer when it comes to protecting against roof damage. There are a few important maintenance steps you need to take to ensure your roof’s strength is maintained when you really need it.

  • Keep your trees trimmed: Big, dead branches will easily break off in strong winds, and they could damage your roof. Most homeowner’s insurance only covers up to $500 in damages for tree-related damages and tree removal.
  • Keep your gutters clean: Leaves and debris can back up pretty quickly in gutters, causing excessive water to flow over onto your roof.
  • Don’t wait to repair loose or broken shingles: If water does overflow from your gutters or a dead branch does come down onto your roof, one weak point can make the surrounding shingles more likely to cave.

Inspect Your Roof Regularly

It seems obvious, but performing regular roof inspections is often bumped to the bottom of the home to-do list. Maybe it’s because it’s out of sight and out of mind, but the strength of your roof depends on these inspections.

You should perform a roof inspection once a year and after every major storm. If you inspect regularly, you will be able to catch small issues before they become bigger ones. Keep your eye out for:

  • Shingle damage. This includes warping, cracking, curling, or buckling shingles.
  • Sagging areas. If you’re having a hard time determining this, get down on your hands and knees to see eye level to the roof. A droopy spot could mean water damage or roof rot.
  • Granules of shingles in gutters or downspouts. If your shingles are losing significant amounts of granules, they may be ready to replace.

Add Insulation to Waterproof Your Attic

Check out the insulation in your attic. You might be warm enough inside your house, and tempted to think that the rest of your house is all set. But oftentimes attics aren’t as insulated as they should be.

When excessive heat escapes through your attic, it will melt ice and snow that’s piled up on your roof. If you have any weak shingles, it won’t take long for that melted snow to leak inside. When the water refreezes, it causes what’s known as an ice dam. Ice dams cause water backups that’ll take out weak points as well.

Another thing you can do: get a sheet metal roof. Sheet metal sheds ice and snow easily, and in the summer, it’ll even reflect heat to keep your home cool.

Roof Damage: Not Your Problem to Solve!

Don’t want to worry about roof damage? Request an estimate for our Milwaukee roofing and restoration services today. We’ve been in business for over 40 years, so we know how to proof your roof for the worst.