The roof over your house does more than keep your home dry. When properly installed and maintained by qualified roofers, it also keeps your house warm. Yet structures in need of roofer repair services may not be as efficient and could lead to elevated heating bills. Work with professional roofer services to make sure your installation is in great shape so your house stays warm in colder weather.
Missing or Damaged Shingles
A warm, efficient home is one with a roof that is in excellent condition. Missing shingles can expose the underlayment and decking, reducing water-resistance and disturbing the entire installation. Roofers also that older roofs or ones that show signs of hail damage, splitting, or cracking are less thermally efficient that it should be.
Considering how the many layers of your roof work together as a whole system, professional roofer services stress that any these concerns could cause a chilly house and higher utility bills.
Flashing Problems
The flashing around roof vents, chimneys, and other protrusions are another common source of trouble that could slowly reduce the efficiency of your installation. Missing or damaged flashing in need of roofer repair services can let in water that causes damage to the shingles and layers beneath it.
It can also allow strong winter winds to blow under the shingles and loosen or even blow some off. Any of this damage will eventually affect the function of the whole system, making it less energy efficient along with other issues.
Attic Ventilation and Insulation
Although it may seem as if the outside of your roof is the only part that can affect keeping your home warm in the winter, this is not true. Your attic is very important to overall home efficiency as well as the prevention of certain types of damage that could require extensive roofer services to correct. To function properly as an integral part of a roof system, your attic must have balanced ventilation and good insulation, even in the winter.
- Ventilation is critical for preventing heat build-up that causes damaging condensation inside the attic and shingle damage on the outside. Shingles that overheat in warmer months can blister or lift off the decking surface, reducing water-tightness and overall efficiency. In the winter, a hot attic can cause ice dams that can destroy a roof after a few freezes. Roofer repair services can make sure you have enough ventilation so the attic stays cool and dry in the winter to avoid such problems.
- Good insulation installed by experienced roofers works along with attic ventilation. Since the attic space should remain cool, you need insulation between the attic and the rest of the house to prevent heat from rising into the space and leaking out of the attic. Poor attic insulation is a common reason for a cool, drafty house and high heating bills.
Problems that can affect home energy efficiency and a roof's ability to keep your home warm in winter can be subtle. Differences will be noticed if you schedule roofer services inspections and provide repair services necessary to address such issues. Experienced roofers make sure your roof is efficient so your house is warm and toasty all winter long!
