If there’s one thing every Minnesotan knows, it’s that our state can have some pretty intense weather! Spring and summer bring waves of thunderstorms which can damage the exterior of yourhome in a number of ways. Hail impacts may dent and crack your roof shingles, intense winds can knock you gutters loose and heavy rains can flood your basement. However, the season which brings the most extreme weather to Minnesota is our long and frigid winter.

Winter Roof Damage

Winter weather can have numerous detrimental effects on your home, especially your roof. Snow accumulates quickly and becomes monstrously heavy. Wet snows during the 30s are the heaviest and will place the most stress on your roof. If too much snow piles up on your roof, there is a risk that it will collapse!

Worsening the problem, ice tends to form thickly along the edges of your roof and in your gutters. Ice build-ups can blockade the snow, allowing it to accumulate rapidly and increasing the risk that melting snow will get under your shingles and leak into the house below. Ice dams along a roof’s edge also lead to the growth of icicles, which can pose a serious hazard to anyone walking along the perimeter of the home.

Winter winds are a burden on your roof, too. While early spring is best known for bringing violent gusts, windstorms in the dead of winter also have the capacity to loosen your shingles or even rip them off entirely. This makes your roof much more susceptible to leakage. Fortunately for your home, all forms of winter roof damage are preventable with the proper precautions.

How To Prevent Winter Roof Damage

The most immediate threat to your roof during the winter is the accumulation of snow. One way to prevent this is to install heating cables along your roof, which will cause snow to melt and slide off quickly. Depending on the height of your roof, you may also be able to remove snow along the edges using a roof rake. This can cause an avalanche of snow that will clear your roof off quickly; just don’t get buried!

If properly insulated and ventilated, a roof should not have a problem with ice dams. If you notice frequent ice build-ups along the sides of your roof, your best bet may be to install more vents and insulation to prevent your roof from freezing in the winter. It is also necessary to clear the leaves out of your gutters in the fall; this will keep them from clogging up with melted snow and ice, and helps to prevent both ice dams and icicles from forming on them.

Wind damage prevents a risk to roofs in all seasons but can be especially problematic in winter. If you find your shingles don’t hold up to intense winds, you may want to replace them. Metal and fiberglass roofing tends to stand up to windstorms better than some other varieties. It is also important to trim back large trees with branches that overhang your roof. If a big branch falls and knocks shingles loose in winter, it can allow melting snow to seep into your home and make an expensive mess.

Let The Professionals Prepare Your Roof For Winter

There’s plenty you can do to prepare your roof for a Minnesota winter but it’s always a good idea to employ a team of experts to make sure your home is ready for this year’s snowstorms. Call A-1 Restoration for the aid of a professional staff who can satisfy all of your roof repair and replacement needs. We’ll make sure your roof is ready for whatever next winter throws at us!