5 Ways to Protect Your Roof from Weather Damage

January 7, 2019 | General

The UK isn’t known for having the best weather, which is why protecting your roof from weather damage is a must. There’s nothing worse than discovering that your roof is damaged or leaking when winter strikes. So, preparing your roof for winter and the UK weather is essential and to help you, here are 5 simple ways you can protect your roof yourself.

Clean All Gutters During Winter

Gutters that are full to the brim of debris will only lead to damage. When filled with leaves, gutters are unable to drain correctly, meaning that water is unable to escape. Cold weather may mean that this water freezes, causing the gutters to become filled with ice and snow. This then increases the chances of rot appearing across roofline. It also substantially increases the chances of breakages happening along the guttering as they buckle under the pressure.

Check Your Property’s Exterior

Making sure that there’s no leaks, stains or cracks on the exterior walls of your home or business is essential. By doing a thorough inspection before the bad weather hits, you can make sure that nothing is loose or blocked. If anything appears problematic while giving your building the once over, be sure to call a professional if you’re unable to remove the issue yourself.

Give the Attic an Inspection

You can easily check the underside of your roof by heading into your attic. By doing this, you can get a good look and ensure that the roof trusses are secured in place. A strong and sturdy roof structure is key to having a roof that can withstand the Great British weather. Do your roof trusses have horizontal beams that run the length of your roof? If not, adding these horizontal beams to the vertical beams will act as extra support to your roof.

Secure Obvious Weak Spots

Have you noticed any of your roof shingles becoming a bit loose recently? If you have, you want to make sure that these are secure and in place before the bad weather comes along. It’s not just winter when you need to make these checks! Strong winds can happen at any time of year and come without much warning. Once the weather has become calmer, you want to check for any cracked or missing shingles on your roof. If these are ignored, leaks may occur.

Get Help from the Professionals

Inspecting your roof may be a little daunting at first. If you’ve had a glance over everything but you’re still unsure, get in touch with a local roofing expert to double check your work.

To read more about how to take care of your roof, read the rest of Avenir’s blog.