Before winter really gets going, you need to make sure that your roof is ready for all the winter weather it is going to encounter. The best way to do that is by inspecting your roof and taking care of any issues before they become real problems. The most sensitive areas on your roof are going to be around your chimney, around any pipes or vents on your roof, and the valley on your roof. Make sure these areas are in good shape in order to ensure that your roof doesn't leak at all.

#1 Chimney

One common place where leaks develop is around the chimney. Make sure that the shingles that surround your chimney run right up to your chimney. You should also have another protective layer around the base of your chimney and your roof to ensure that water doesn't seep down around the edge of your chimney. Take some roofing cement, and put it around the base of your chimney. Make sure that the roofing cement covers the base of your chimney and extends onto the shingles surrounding your chimney. Do this every few years to ensure that water doesn't get into your roof via your chimney.

#2 Pipes & Vents

The second places you need to check are the pipe and vents on your roof. Any pipes that are on your roof should have a metal plate that goes around the base and extends under your shingles. Then, a rubber cover should go over the pipe and the metal plate. Sometimes this rubber cover can get cracked and degraded. When that happens, you are going to want to replace the rubber cover. Just remove the old cover and use caulking to put the new cover in place. You can also put the new cover right on top of the old cover, just be sure to seal them tight together. This should keep water from leaking around pipes on your roof.

For vents, they should have a cover that is covered up by shingles. Make sure all the shingles near the vents cover up the vent cover. If there is an opening between the shingles and the vents, you can use roofing cement like you did with your chimney to create a waterproof seal.

#3 Valley

If you have a valley on your roof, check the quality of the shingles. The shingles on the valley of your roof tend to wear down faster than other areas of your roof due to how much water is directed through the valley of your roof. If the shingles are worn down and exposing the substrate, you are going to want to have them replaced before winter.

Check around your chimney, pipes, vents, and valleys on your roof to make sure that you have the protection that you need. If the shingles are worn down, or there are gaps that water could get through, have a roofing professional like those at Ulrich Builders seal up these gaps for you in order to protect and keep your roof safe this winter. 

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