- Missing shingles: While a quality synthetic underlayment or self-adhered underlayment can help shield your roof deck from moisture, it’s meant to work in conjunction with asphalt shingles. That’s why any missing shingles should be replaced as soon as possible. This problem can be much more serious if your roof is covered with a felt underlayment or has no underlayment product at all.
- Roof Replacement
Prepare Your Roof for Winter Weather and Santa’s Visit
Written By Owens Corning Roofing•Date Published 2023-11-03
Is Your Roof Ready for Saint Nick?
As the story goes, Santa Claus fills his sleigh with presents and delivers them across the world to all the good little boys and girls on Christmas Eve. This means Santa arrives in the dead of winter for those in the northern hemisphere. And, for many parts of the United States, it’s not only cold, but snowy.
Santa (and his team) will need to be able to safely land, navigate on, and take off from your roof. This can be a problem if your roof is not performing at its best. Plus, cold temperatures, blustery winds, and heavy snowfall can lead to several winter roof problems.
Common Winter Roof Problems
It’s hard to be nestled all snug in your bed when worried about roof leaks. Fortunately, the elves at Owens Corning are working round the clock engineering and manufacturing roofing tools and products to help make your home comfortable, and durable this holiday season. Discover practical solutions for common roof obstacles Santa might encounter.
Tripping Hazards
Missing, torn, or curled shingles and cracked flashing are a few things that can cause Santa to take a one-way trip — off your roof. They’re also a common cause of roof leaks. Asphalt shingles are your roofing system’s first line of defense against water and moisture intrusion. Keeping them in good repair is critical to preventing water damage.
- Cracked or torn shingles: Shingles that have openings to let moisture in are only slightly better than no shingles at all. Water can make its way through the tiniest of holes, and your roof deck and attic can suffer water damage before you’re even aware there’s a problem.
- Curled shingles: Curled shingles are the opening act for cracked or missing shingles. Wind gusts can more easily catch the edges of curled shingles, tearing them or breaking off pieces.
- Damaged flashing: Metal flashing provides extra protection to parts of your roof that come in contact with lots of water, like valleys or where the shingles butt against brick or stone, such as the chimney. Since areas with flashing are already vulnerable to water intrusion, cracked flashing is an easy way for water to enter your home. Water can also cause damage to your chimney by infiltrating tiny cracks then freezing and thawing.
Slippery When Wet
Although Santa is used to walking on all different types of roofs, he can still get into trouble on slick surfaces. The following roof issues can make Santa’s job extra risky.
- Bald shingles: Roofing granules not only provide traction for Santa, but they help protect your shingle’s exterior surface from UV rays. Roofing granules are also responsible for the color dimensions you see in roofing shingles, such as Owens Corning TruDefinition® Duration® Series shingles.
- Moss: Not only does moss fall into the slippery-when-wet category, but it provides a place for moisture to collect. Over time, large clumps of moss can damage shingles, especially during freeze and thaw cycles.
- Ice Dams: Ice that has formed over the eaves can block the path to the gutters. Pooling water behind the dam may eventually find a way under shingles. Ice dams are one of the leading causes of winter roof leaks. You can help protect your roof from damage caused by ice dams by ensuring you have adequate roofing ventilation and insulation.
Snow Coverage Matters
Picture a peaceful Christmas village blanketed in snow. What do you notice about the roofs? They’re all covered with snow, not a shingle in sight. Not only are these snow-covered roofs the perfect landing place for a sleigh, but they indicate that the roofing system is performing efficiently.
When temperatures remain below freezing and days are cloudy, your roof should retain its cozy mantle of snow. Insulation and ventilation are two roofing components that play a key role in controlling snow melt and ice dam formation.
The Role of Insulation
Unconditioned attics and crawl spaces above your home’s living areas should be insulated to help prevent heat loss in the winter and heat transfer in the summer. Without proper insulation, heat collects in the attic, warming the roof deck and asphalt shingles and causing excess snowmelt.
The Department of Energy offers guidelines for homeowners regarding insulation depths and R-values for temperatures zones throughout the country. The R-value refers to a material’s ability to withstand heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the more heat transfer is minimized. When using multiple insulating materials, the R-values are added together to reach the recommended number.
Adding fiberglass insulation to your attic spaces is a cost-effective way to improve the efficiency of your home. You can find Owens Corning PINK® fiberglas™ in local home improvement stores in various sizes, R-values and formats.
Batts and rolls
- Easy for any DIYer to install
- Friction fit between floor joists and wall studs
Blown-In loose fill
- For easy installation, rent an AttiCat® machine when you purchase your product. Most home improvement stores offer a free rental with minimum purchase.
- Add baffles to the soffit area to prevent insulation from blocking intake vents.
Ventilation
Air flow is essential to attic spaces to prevent heat and moisture build-up during the winter months. To ensure your attic has a balanced air flow, you need the right amount of both intake and exhaust vents. You’ll find the exhaust vents up high, usually along the ridge of the roof, while the intake vents rest near the soffits.
It may seem idiotic to pull colder air into your attic during the winter months, but without adequate intake, your attic’s negative pressure will start to extract air from your living spaces. This will not only make your home uncomfortable but increase energy loss as well.
With adequate insulation and the right amount of ventilation, not only will your roof look “a lot like Christmas,” but Santa has a much better chance of making it to the chimney intact. Plus, roofs with proper insulation and ventilation have a much lower risk of ice dam formation. It’s a win-win situation.
It’s That Time of Year
Everyone, including Santa, knows rooftops can be slippery. In fact, it’s always best to leave any type of roof work, whether it’s a repair or inspection, to the professionals. Fortunately, Santa is a professional, and he’s very experienced. However, if you’re looking for some help getting your roof in shape for winter, you might need to look a little closer than the North Pole.
Owens Corning makes it easy for you to find experienced, local contractors. Simply browse through the Owens Corning Roofing Contractor Network by zip code. You’ll find roofing contractors listed along with their service levels, contact info and customer reviews.
So, if you want to continue being on the nice list, it’s time to do your part. Make sure your roof is ready for winter (and Santa), and we bet there’ll be something extra special in your stocking this year — or at least a lower utility bill.
Next Steps
Next Steps
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