Winter in Ottawa is cold, harsh, and can spell trouble for an unprepared roof. Winterizing your roof in Ottawa for the winter means considering the freezing temperatures, frozen precipitation, and all the things that can happen throughout the season that could cause problems later on, such as membrane damage, clogged gutters and drains. To help you with winterizing your roof, whether commercial or residential, we have come up with a list of things to do.
Know The Risks
One of the risks of failing to winterize your roof comes from the freeze and thaw cycle that Ottawa experiences. Any deficiencies or problems that were overlooked in the warmer months can be exacerbated during the freeze and thaw. For example, a small crack can cause a leak, split membranes, separate seams, create blisters under shingles, or even break apart gutters. By keeping an eye open for little problems throughout the year, you can better defend your roof against the freeze/thaw cycle and making winterizing your roof a lot more productive.
Have a Snow Removal Plan
Too much snow piled up on a roof is a huge risk and can lead to collapse. Protect your roof by having a commercial snow removal plan ready. Wet snow can add immense weight, even to roofing that has been designed to bear that load. Hire a roofer group to come in a promptly remove the snow to prevent damage.
Coat Your Roof
Single-ply membranes can be brittle and prone to water damage. During the winter, any patched membranes are like playing Russian Roulette. Always apply a new coat to your roof during winterizing to extend the life. Coatings can also be used on metal roofing.
Have a professional roofer inspect your roof and replace any damp insulation, patch holes, and so on. Once the damages have been repaired, they can apply the coating. You should always trust a professional, since not all coatings are created equal. Furthermore, misapplication can cause more problems.
Other Tips For Winterizing Your Roof
Here are more ways to ensure that your roof is ready for winter:
- Get up on the roof and do a visual inspection. If you don’t know what to look for, hire a roofing contractor to inspect the roof.
- Seek out missing, cracked, buckled, or broken shingles. Replace them. Any damaged and missing shingles can potentially cause leaking. Water can also seep in, freeze and thaw, widening cracks.
- Check flashings for tears, warping, puncture holes, and similar damages. Repair them if you need to. Be sure to check around chimney and ventilation, too.
- If you have trees near the roof, make sure the limbs cannot touch when weighed down by ice or snow. If you think the limbs could snap off under the weight of snow, get the trees trimmed.
- Clean dead leaves and other debris from the roof and gutters.
- Check for signs of pests—rodents and insects. Any small openings could easily become doorways for vermin to enter and make a home inside the structure of the building.
Don’t let Ottawa winters damage your roof. The best step towards successful winterization is to hire a professional roofer company with a full snow protection plan available. Schedule your pre-winter inspections now. Don’t wait for the first flake to fall. But even if you are late with winterizing, you can still get a lot of work done!
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