Let the Experts Inspect Your Roof this Winter Season
Colder weather is just around the corner, which means now is the ideal time to find a highly qualified roofing replacement and repair company to perform an inspection. Residential roofs in Dallas, Texas are designed to protect homes and their interiors from the harshest winter elements, from sleet and snow to long freezes. But before the season fully starts, it’s critical you take the necessary steps to ensure your roof is up to the task.
If you own a home in the DFW area, you might think your roof is in top shape. After all, it made it through the rest of the year in one piece! However, roofing systems take some serious abuse year-round, and the winter months pose some of the biggest threats against a sturdy, protective roof. The freezing and thawing cycle can eat away at your roofs components far faster than Spring and Summer rains. To get a better grasp on how this advanced wear and tear can affect your roof, let’s take a closer look.
How the Freezing and Thawing Cycle Affects Your Roof
From the first snowfall to ice building up around your home, the freezing and thawing cycle can last for weeks on end. While rain quickly drains away from your property, ice and snow stick to your roof for longer periods, melting and refreezing as the days go by. The longer this liquid stays on your roof, the more impact it has on your roof’s shingles and flashing.
Shingles
Most homes in Dallas have waterproof asphalt tiles called shingles on their roofs. During the warmth of the day, melted snow and ice may seep down into cracks or crevices around aged, damaged shingles. When the temperature drops below freezing again, the water in these cracks turns to ice and expands, causing the cracks to grow larger. The next day’s sunlight causes melting again, and if the liquid is not evaporated, the cycle continues.
If melted snow and ice collect near the edge of your roof, this can create an “ice dam” that keeps water pooling on your roof. By preventing drainage, ice dams give water more time to get underneath and soak your shingles, which then freeze and thaw on repeat, causing potentially catastrophic damage to your roof.
Flashing
The strips of waterproof material adhered to edges of vents, dormers, chimneys, skylights, and other structures on your roof are called flashing. Flashing is ideal for keeping moisture and water flow away from these structures. The freezing and thawing cycle can cause liquid to seep into the gaps that expand over time in older flashing – especially if it is loose or separated from the structures it protects. Leaks may be hard to locate, especially to the untrained eye. That’s why it’s critical to hire a professional roofing replacement and repair company in the Dallas-Fort Worth area to ensure your flashing is prepared for the freezing and thawing cycle this Winter season.
Exacerbating Existing Issues
If your residential roof has other issues, like punctures from hail damage or tears and separation caused by strong winds, the freezing and thawing cycle can cause even more structural damage to your roofing system this Winter. Where liquids may have only seeped around edges of shingles and slowly ate away at their adhesive before evaporating, holes, cracks, and bruises from previous damage are far easier targets for water to set up camp for the winter. If undetected, the freezing and thawing cycle could cause substantial damage, leading to leaks and an overall weaker protection against the elements.
Don’t Take Any Chances this Winter
The best time to consider a roofing inspection, repair, or replacement in Dallas is long before the Winter season begins. Carrying out this work in freezing temperatures is nigh impossible. By that point, roofs aren’t as accessible and can be dangerous for roofing contractors to perform their duties. Most major projects cannot be completed until warm weather months return. As a result, the expert roofing team at RX Roof recommends you take care of your roofing issues ASAP to ensure your structure stays in top shape year-round.
At RX Roof, we know that every roof, just like every home, is different. With our team on your side, we’ll work hard to understand every detail of your roof and the overall structure of your home. Through routine inspections and preventive maintenance, we can catch issues early to ensure they don’t become larger problems in the future. Choose peace of mind and call us for a comprehensive evaluation of your roofing system to help you make educated decisions concerning your property.
For more information on RX Roof or to schedule your FREE 7-point roof inspection, contact us today!