Before even mentioning a roof OR what to do to maintain it before the snow flies, let’s just get this out of the way:
It’s just the meme that keeps on giving.
But seriously, the days are already short, we haven’t seen the thermometer hit 90 in a month, the Huskers are in action again, and if you’re anything like us here at White Castle Roofing, you’ve already purchased at least two bags of candy corn to mix with peanuts because it is NEVER too early for that goodness. All that to say: winter will be here before we know it. Whether you’re personally excited for the first snow or you’re ready for it to be March 15 again, the question to be asked now is if your roof is ready.
Your roof has a heck of a task list in the winter, and it’ll be Go Time any day now. In football speak, if the rest of the year is the regular season, we’re starting playoffs for the Super Bowl of December through February. In addition to keeping the snow outside your house, it also does a lot of the insulation (which you see bear out in your energy bills) as well as ventilation (which is the difference between a moldy attic and a dry one), and ideally does it all without sprouting icicles — which might look pretty until they fall and spear an unlucky squirrel on your sidewalk (or worse). It’s a big job!
So as a responsible homeowner, the best thing you can do right now is give your roof a little TLC to make sure it’s ready. Since it’s fall in Nebraska, odds are you’ll be watching football in the very near future…so here’s a quarter-by-quarter checklist you can knock out during commercial breaks of the next game:
- First quarter: Check your ceiling for water spots. With the fall in Nebraska often comes rain. While there are many reasons you might have a little moisture in your house, if you do see any water spots on your ceiling, give us a call to take a look to make sure it isn’t from your roof.
- Second quarter: Clear out your gutters. To be fair, this might take halftime (and then some) too. We’ll cover this more in a later post, but trust us here, it’ll behoove you to make sure your gutters are free of leaves and branches throughout the fall. While we’re on the subject of trees, you should also trim back any low-hanging or dead tree branches that come close to your home.
- Third quarter: Go outside and take a good look at your roof. Get out your trusty binoculars and take a scan for any missing or curled shingles. It’s much easier to address those on an individual basis, rather than waiting for them to get worse and result in a much costlier repair down the road.
- Fourth quarter: Schedule a roof inspection. Even if you don’t spot any missing shingles, it’s still a good idea to have a pro come take a look, particularly at your ventilation. This is another area that a repair can easily address if your ventilation is insufficient, where ignoring it can lead to significant damage to your shingles as well as your roof structure. As a bonus, you can potentially even save some more cash by making sure you have proper ventilation in the form of reduced energy bills, since your home will be more energy efficient. Either take this step online during the game, or give us a call on Monday to finish off your list.
It’s a good idea to tackle this list sooner rather than later, too, so you have time to address any issues that do come up. Any good coach will tell you how key game prep is to a win, so take care of your roof now, and you can put the WIN in winter.