Every few winters in New England it seems there is a wild ice storm. Most notably in recent memory he had the ice storm of 2008. The damage was in the 2 to 2.5 billions of dollars range in New England and homes lost power for days to weeks in certain areas. A lot of the damage was to personal property. Homeowners themselves experienced devastation, especially around their roofs. We know ice storms and ice build up causes ice dams and other damage. But how should you inspect your roof after an ice storm specially? Lets look at a few steps to see if you need to call an experienced roofing contractor.

Be Careful

First and foremost, if you are going to be inspecting your roof without the help of a roofing contractor, be extremely careful. Obviously, ice is slippery. The ground surface could also be trick as well depending on how much snow and ice is built up. Try to clear the area where your ladder is going to be as much as possible. Have a spotter to hold your ladder as well.

Inspect The Metal

The metal on your roof is known as the flashing, vents, or exhaust caps. Depending on the size of the ice in the storm, the flashing could be severely damaged. You want your flashing to be “flush” with the roof to prevent leaking. If your flashing is banged up a bunch, leaving an uneven surface, this is warning sign number 1 your roof needs some repair work. Additionally, while you are up there, look at any HVAC components that may be attached to your roof.  You may need to call 2 contractors depending on the severity of damage.

Shingle Inspections & Bruises

Shingle bruises are a sign of ice damage. These bruises can create cracks that will allow water to seep in your roof and attic.  Any easy way to spot this is displaced shingles. If the storm wasn’t as severe, take a close look at many shingles. See cracks in them? Sign number 2 your need a roof repair.

Windows

Lastly, if you have any sky windows in your house, you’ll need to carefully inspect these too. Check for broken panes, vinyl trim, or window glazing. If you see any cracks or warping, you’ll want to get this taken care of ASAP. This is an especially vulnerable area that could lead to a puddle in your living room!

Remember, Rhode Island Slate Roofing are the experts at everything roofing. Serving Rhode Island and Southern Massachusetts.