But how do these leaks happen?

You may be wondering how your roof might be perfectly fine before it snows, but the moment the snow starts to melt you all of a sudden have problems. Well, the reality of cold weather is that buildings and roofs contract, and come spring, they expand. These movements are imperceptible but they have the potential of causing damage to the building and roof. From the movement, roofs can experience tears, splits, or seams that come apart. Beyond that, cold weather has the potential to crack some roofing membranes. 

But these aren’t the only factors that cause roof leaks.

Snow is an interesting player in the springtime. While everyone is excited to see the snow melting and see the warmer temperatures outside, snow is melting on your roof and since the density of water is greater than the density of snow, water begins to hide beneath the snow on your roof. You may not think this is a problem, but think about how much-wet snow weighs. That weight is pushing the water beneath of it into the small tears or splits on your roof. If you’ve ever had liquid in a bag and pushed on the bag, you know that water can spread around when pressure is applied. The same thing happens to your roof, and that pressure is enough that even if the tear in your roof is tiny the water is going to find a way in.

Even now you may notice that more and more places have leaks popping up. You might not think about it a lot, but I know I’ve place one week and it was perfectly fine and the next there was a leak. It’s not a coincidence that these leaks are happening right now. Springtime is a prime time for roof problems. 

But don’t worry, there are ways to avoid this problem.

The best thing you can do for your roof is to get a roof inspection done in the fall. What a roof inspection will do is allow for you to know if there are places on your roof that are more likely to cause a leak come spring. If a roof is going to leak in the spring, signs of wear and tear are most likely present in the fall, so by getting an inspection done before the snow, you are better equipped to know what to expect. The inspection also gives you time to get some repairs done before the problem arises.

I have three tips that can help you be proactive when it comes to the health of your roof.

1. Find a contractor that you trust
1. Having a contractor that you trust is important. Creating a relationship where you feel comfortable with them doing work on your roof takes the stress away from you. Having a relationship with someone also means you never have to guess who you are calling to do the work and instead can quickly pick up the phone and get them out to look at the problem.
2. Add “roof inspection” to your fall to-do list
1. Most people have a list of to-dos before the first snowfall of the year. Add “roof inspection” to your list so you don’t forget. While you are cleaning up the yard you can have your trustworthy contractor out to take a look at your roof. Then when the work is done you can breathe easy as you watch the first snowfall of the year.  
3. Think about roof maintenance
1. Roof maintenance is a step above and beyond roof inspections where you partner with a contractor you trust and have them come check out your roof once to twice a year. The check-ups include allowing the contractor to then repair anything that they see as a problem.  

Wouldn’t you prefer to be proactive and not reactive?