Winter months can be hard, and not just because the weather is colder. They can also be pretty rough on your home or building—especially the roof—and snow and cold weather can make it hard to identify roofing problems, which allows them to continue for several months before they get fixed. There isn’t much you can do to stop winter weather from coming (other than moving to the tropics), but there are some signs you can look for to identify a potential problem before it becomes too significant.

Winter Roof Leaks

With snow, ice, and rain falling for most of the winter months, you probably won’t have a lot of opportunity to get up on the roof and check it out, but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a leak. The easiest way to do this during the winter months is from the underneath. Regularly inspect the under side of the roof, looking around for signs of water coming through the roof, such as rusted steel beams nails, excessive humidity, or wet insulation. If you notice these signs, call a roofing contractor in Salt Lake City right away to get things checked out.

Ponding Water

One of the biggest threats to your roofing in Salt Lake City is standing water, and in the winter months it becomes even more of an issue because of the increase in precipitation. After any rain or snow storm, take some time to check the roof for signs of standing water or areas where it’s not draining properly.

Ice Dams

Ice dams are another phenomenon that can occur in winter and can be damaging to your roofing. These occur when warm air causes snow from the top of the roof to melt. It runs off the roof, but before it reaches your gutter system it may freeze again, blocking the flow of water with an ice dam. Without a clear path off the roof, water that hits the ice dam will remain on your roofing surface and can cause significant damage. The easiest way to identify the existence of ice dams is to look for icicles hanging from the roof.

Condensation

When it’s cold outside and warm inside, it’s a recipe for creating condensation. For most homes and buildings, these two air temperatures meet in the attic as warm air from below meets cold air from outside. The best way to avoid condensation forming is to have proper insulation so warmer air won’t make its way from your living or working space into the attic of your home or building. If you don’t have good insulation, call a contractor today to install some.

Winter might not seem like the right time to make roofing repairs, but if you notice a problem it’s worth calling a roofing contractor in Salt Lake City immediately to come and make repairs. Waiting could increase the hassle and cost of repairs in the future.