While you wouldn’t know it looking outside, it is still fall. It won’t be winter for at least a month, so you still have time to prepare and get your house in shape for the freezing cold and snow.

Before it gets too chilly and snowy, now is the perfect time to check out the exterior of your home to make sure it’s in tip top shape.  If you are hesitant to get out the super tall ladder, you can call R.C. White Ltd. to do the inspection for you. They are roofing experts after all.

We’ve had to major wind storms this summer with the wind whipping up so many swirls that it’s possible you have roofing damage and don’t even know it.

You want to address any possible leaks coming from your roof for several reasons. When water gets into your attic and makes the insulation wet, you run the risk of mould growth. When the rafters get wet wood can rot.

What was once a small leak can become a massive repair bill with replacing roof shingles, insulation, and wood beams and having experts remove mould. Address the problem at the beginning and you’ll save money.

If you have noticed water stains on ceilings, climb into the attic to see where the water originated. It’s not always clear and might take some serious inspection. If you have found the source of the leak hard to find, you can climb on the roof with a garden hose and start running water across the roof from above where the suspected leak was found.  You get a helper to watch the attic and pinpoint the entry of the water.

Often water leaks from the roof don’t originate with loose tiles, but are more likely to come from projections out of the roof like vents, chimneys and dormers. You might find that flashing has become displaced or was poorly installed.

Once the leak is found, do the repairs whether it is replacing roofing shingles or a roof vent or repairing poor flashing. Have the problem fixed before the next snow fall.

Don’t be fooled into thinking caulk is the solution to all leaks. Most problems need a full scale repair and that means replacing flashing. If you find tiny holes in your shingles maybe caused by the installation of a satellite dish, you need to fix it with flashing.

After the leak is fixed check for animal nests in vents and remove them. If a bird builds a nest in a dryer vent, the humid air remaining in the pipe can wreck havoc in the interior of your home because it’s not venting properly.

Contact R.C. White for more expert advice on how to care for your roof.