If you are a first time home owner approaching your first winter, you probably have a lot of things running through your mind. How much will heating cost? How do I stop drafts? Will we get a plow service or should we deal with snow removal yourself? The questions are many. But what about your roof? At Rhode Island Slate Roofing, we know what to do before going into winter as a home-owner for the first time. Follow these steps if you have an older roof this winter.

Property Maintenance

If you live in a heavily wooded area, you’ll want to follow this one closely. Ideally if the fall you will assess your tree line in your property. Its crucial that you take note of any trees that may be to close to your property that are older, damaged, or have tree limbs sagging near your house. The last thing anyone wants to deal with is severe roof damage during a New England Winter Storm. Get these problem trees taken care of before high wind and ice storms combine for an awful situation.

Roof and Gutter Cleaning

This step is close to our previous one. If you live near large amounts of trees, chances are during the fall your gutters & roof get bombarded with leaves and twigs. If you don’t clean your gutters the debris, combined with water, will create large amounts of weight and stress on your roof. This weight can cause damage that eventually can build up to ice dams and roof leaks.

Make Repairs

A great way to extend the life of your roof is to go through periodic maintenance of your roof. This could be something as simple as replacing damaged shingles to replacing roof flashing.

If you think your roof may need a professionally trained eye before this winter, contact Rhode Island Slate Roofing today!