Winter Threats to Your Roof Explained

Winter looks great and feels amazing, but it’s always an uphill battle for your roof. For one, the added weight of the packed snow puts undue stress on your roof deck (and your home, by extension). Secondly, when the snow melts, it can seep into your roof and leak into its interior, causing unseen moisture damage and necessitating untimely roof repair.

Still, being forewarned is being forearmed. In today’s post, we talk about the three biggest threats to your roof when winter comes around and what you can do to head off the damage they cause.

Snow

Snow is, as mentioned, the biggest culprit, but the kind of snow may also spell a different kind of trouble for your home. It snows when ambient air is below the freezing point of water, but the level of humidity plays a role in what kind of snow you’ll get. If there is a lot of humidity in the air, you’ll get wet, slushy snow; drier areas may see “dry” snow, sort of like dust or ash, but it’s relatively harmless.

The slush-like snow tends to clump together, however, and presents additional weight on top of your roof. If you don’t clear it on a timely manner, it can pose a structural risk to your roof, not to mention a leaking risk when it melts.

Hail

Hail involves chunks of ice, whose size can range from a small pebble to lumps of ice bigger than a golf ball. The solid nature of a hailstone alongside its speed as it plummets from the sky can dent roofs, siding, and cars. It can even pose actual danger to people!

When looking for a new roof, look for impact rating as well. This gives you an idea of how resistant your new roof is to impact damage, such as falling tree branches or hail.

Freezing Rain

Freezing rain starts like normal rain, but it rapidly freezes and solidifies when it comes into contact with your roof. This is actually more problematic than snow, because a sheet of ice is not only harder to remove but also slippery when you don’t have the proper gear to deal with it.

Home Pro Exteriors, Inc. is your trusted roof replacement contractor in the area, and our credentials can allow you to breathe easy whatever your winter woes. To consult us for your next roofing project, call us at (845) 343-1777 or fill out our contact form to get started. We serve Middletown, NY and neighboring areas.