Avoid a roof nightmare before Christmas, Home roofer tips help, Property roofing renewal work advice

Avoid A Roof Nightmare Before Christmas

19 Oct 2022

Christmas is a very special time of year and it is when everyone brings out their best light display and decorations to make their home stand out in the neighborhood. If you want your house to look its best then you will need to account for the condition of the roof and the roofline. Most contractors and roofing companies are on holiday during Christmas so it is the wrong time for your roof to show signs of damage or to incur a leak. Here are some expert roofer tips to help you avoid a nightmare before Christmas.

Avoid A Roof Nightmare Before Christmas – Roofer Tips

Keep Those Chimneys Clear

Christmas is when the family gets together for large wondrous home-cooked feasts so having your chimneys cleaned is very important before the holiday season rolls around. If your chimneys are blocked or not ventilating the fumes from the stove or fireplace properly, carbon monoxide and other harmful gases can build up in the home. From time to time the caulking around the exterior of the chimneys can wear off so heat can start escaping from the house. To keep yourself and your family nice and warm, re-caulk the free space around chimneys or the roofline sheathing to better insulate your home.

A Lighting Display On The Roof

Many homeowners adore lighting displays around Christmas time to show the real festive spirit in both the interior and the exterior of the house. However, there is a lot of room for error when you are installing lights or signs on the roof so make sure you install the display items in daylight with a proper ladder and someone helping you. The roof is like any other part of the house and it can absolutely catch fire if a string of lights short-circuits or there is an electrical malfunction.

Good standard practices for installing a lighting display include making sure your electrical socket has enough voltage for the products you are using such as fairy lights or lanterns. Secondly, be wary of the load you are putting on extension cords. The placement of the extension cords is a major safety hazard if a child comes across them or it suddenly starts raining or water gets in them due to roof drainage.

If it does end up raining, always cover the display with a plastic tarp secured properly and make sure all electrical sockets and plug-ins are well out of the reach of any water. For older homes, it might be worth considering consulting a Gaithersburg roofer about the right voltage needed to house all the light you are putting up. Always invest in good-quality bulbs, lights, and neon signs.

Roofs Are Not Built For Immense Weights

It is dangerous to assume that your roof can take the same weight as your flooring for example. Roofs are not built to withstand huge weights like a gigantic Santa sign or a wooden sled as part of a display. Roofing materials like shale shingles can crack or break when considerable weight or impact is applied to them so use lighter decorations and do not pile anything on the roof. Christmas time is also winter time so snow, rain or hail will take a toll on your roof as well so keep up the timely inspections to ensure your roof is in good condition.

Landscaping

Not only does beautiful landscaping and trimming back any natural growth make your home look neater before Christmas, but it also prevents electrical hazards and moisture and organic matter from building up on the roofline or in the roof downspouts. Hire a landscaper well before Christmas time to trim back trees, vines, and hedges and give your house a cleaner, brighter look.

Sagging Roofing Materials Are A Huge Hazard

The winter months are challenging on any type of roofing material so if you find cracks or a sagging part of the roof it usually means there is a major structural issue. Contact a professional roofer near you as soon as possible so they can complete the repairs or replacements before Christmas.

The weeks leading up to Christmas for this reason are for inspections whether it is of the chimneys, gutters, downspouts, or roof leaks. Never leave any repairs until the last minute because it is hard and expensive to find a contractor during the holiday season! For flat roofs, getting a fresh coating once a year before the Christmas season is a great idea for sound maintenance of your roof which will keep it aging well.

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