Pre-Winter Roof Inspections Can Prevent Unnecessary Repair Bills
The probability is quite high that the hot and sunny days of summer in Southern Ontario will soon give way to cooler, then colder, weather. In fact, the annual arrival of winter is inevitable, with the only variables being:
- How cold it will be
- How much snow will fall
- How long it will all last
With apologies for this gloomy news, this pending change of seasons means that many homeowners will soon begin the ritual of winterizing their homes/properties. This may include storing their patio furniture, applying fall fertilizer/seed to the lawn, and ensuring that the furnace and the snow blower are in proper working order. But amid all of this activity, homeowners may inadvertently neglect a rather critical aspect of preparing their home for the winter; a roof inspection.
Roof inspections are a vitally important part of home maintenance. These assessments help identify existing or potential roof issues that could be problematic for homeowners over the winter months, not to mention expensive, especially with the unpredictability of the weather throughout that season.
A pre-winter roof inspection can determine whether the structural integrity of a roof may be compromised by any of the following circumstances:
- Undetected leaks
- Shingle wear-and-tear
- Loose/missing shingles
- Cracked/missing caulking
- Loose or damaged flashing
- Wood rot (mold and fungus)
- Blocked/malfunctioning gutters
- Deteriorating chimney masonry
Detection of any such signs/evidence in advance of the winter cold and snow will provide ample time to address/repair the problem before it becomes a much more serious issue for the homeowner. Therefore, investing in the cost of a professional roof inspection by a certified roofing contractor such as Avenue Road Roofing can be a small price to pay to protect against expensive and needless repair bills and to also extend the life of the roof.
A Building Envelope Inspection Can Assess a Home’s Overall Winter-Readiness
The importance of roof inspections should neither be overlooked nor underestimated and in fact, these types of examinations should be conducted on a semi-annual basis, pre- and post-winter. But why limit these inspections to the roof only? What about the other parts of the house?
The roof should not be the only area of concern for homeowners with respect to possible damage and/or structural integrity issues. All components of the home that separate the indoor and outdoor environments should be considered; this is referred to as the building envelope and it consists of the:
- Roof
- Foundation
- Exterior walls
- Windows and doors
Building envelope inspections, especially leading into the winter, can assist homeowners in assessing the overall readiness of the home with respect to:
- Energy efficiency
- Structural integrity
- Required upgrades
- Immediate repair needs
- Home insurance updates
- Potential resale opportunities
To ensure that building envelope inspections are performed in a thorough and complete fashion, homeowners can rely on the experience and expertise of Avenue Road Roofing, a roofing industry leader within Toronto and the GTA for more than 40 years.
To inspect and assess the condition of your roof or building envelope prior to the winter months, call the professionals from Avenue Road Roofing today at 416-785-5129 to schedule an inspection at your earliest convenience.
