The holidays are fast approaching! Amid the gift-giving, gathering with loved ones and decorating, the season serves as an important reminder for homeowners to make their roofs “reindeer-ready,” or review their roofs.
To do that, the experts at the Metal Roofing Alliance advise completing the following 10 checks, which can be done without a ladder:
1. For homes with asphalt shingles, look for black areas indicating cracking shingles.
2. For homes with shake or shingles, look for pieces that are curled upward, split, broken off or missing.
3. For homes with slate roofs, look for black areas that indicate slate is missing.
4. Look for heavy wear around the valleys, the areas where water runs off the roof into the gutters.
5. Look at the materials around the chimney and vent pipes and check for cracks, gaps and missing or fractured caulking.
6. Check eave overhangs for water damage.
7. Use binoculars to check around the chimney, trim and other flashings for signs of cracks, shingles that are coming up off the roof and general wear.
8. Conduct an interior inspection for stained or discolored ceilings, which most likely indicates roof problems.
9. Check your gutters for asphalt shingle granules. Lots of granules mean less coverage on your roof.
10. Remove branches, twigs and leaves from gutters and clear out down spouts to allow for snow and ice run off.
