Why And When You Should Winterize Your Home

Why And When You Should Winterize Your Home

Why And When You Should Winterize Your Home

Kansas City endures an average of a foot of snow a year, and average low January temperatures plunging to 22° F, according to U.S. Climate Data. Is your Kansas City-area home’s roof ready to handle that kind of winter?

Why Winterize?

Think of the added difficulty of getting any kind of home repair done in the late fall and throughout winter. Contractors simply do not perform a lot of home repair work when driveways may be slippery, roads may be impassable, or roofs may be coated in ice.

Winterizing means more than just bringing in the patio furniture. It means preparing your home for grueling months of cold and wet weather. Knowing your home is snug and in tip-top shape, you will sleep like a bear hibernating through the nastiest weather of the year.

Winterizing your primary home in fall allows you to know it will handle winter freeze and thaw cycles, your systems will likely not break down, and your roof will hold up under ice and snow weight.

Winterizing your primary home in the fall preserves your home value. It keeps your home’s curb appeal high, since your Kansas City-area home will look like a Norman Rockwell painting, nestled in a blanket of snow. No loose or hanging gutters. No missing or broken shingles. Flashing firmly in place.

Vacation Home Winterizing

Some fortunate folks have vacation homes- these cannot be neglected, either. Winterize your second home at the end of the summer season, before contractors are overwhelmed with autumn winterizing calls.

Winterizing a vacation home is a bit different from winterizing your primary residence. You may need to turn off systems, or use freeze-prevention devices like crawlspace heaters to keep pipes and personal possessions perfect.

Having your vacation home’s roof winterized is as important as getting your main residence checked out and spiffed up. The vacation home may stand empty for a few months, with no one watching to see if a stray tree branch crashes on the roof.

That means your roof must be strong and ready to handle both damage and benign neglect. Nothing is sadder than coming out in early spring, eager for a weekend getaway, only to find your lakeside retreat has substantial roofing damage.

When to Winterize

For your main residence in the Kansas City area, fall to late fall is the ideal time to have winterizing work done. Temperatures start to drop from October into December, but seriously cold weather does not tend to hit the area until November.

You may also want to consider the extent of winterizing steps you take. A newer house may not need as much preparation as a well-worn neighborhood treasure. You might consider how many types of contractors to engage in winterizing:

  • A chimney cleaner to prevent winter chimney fires
  • HVAC technicians to clean and inspect your heating system
  • An asphalt company for driveway repairs, patching, and sealing
  • Landscapers to protect bushes and plantings close to the house

Perhaps most important of all, you need to get your local, dependable roofer on the scene. Your roof, after all, protects just about everything else you own.

Your roofer will be able to do the best work when the roof is still exposed and dry. No roofer can work on a snowy or ice-covered roof.

Winterizing a Roof

What will your friendly, helpful roofer do to winterize your Kansas City-area home? Inspect, repair, and make ready.

Inspections

After spring flings and summer fun, your roof may have endured a few bumps and bruises. Expect your roofer to do what you should not: walk on the roof safely, closely examining it for damage. Roofs are inherently dangerous, and only roofers have the training and equipment to perform inspections without risk of falling. Your roofer will check ridge vents, flashing, field shingles or metal panels, rubber boots around penetrations, drip edges, gutters, fascias, and more. No part of your roof is overlooked.

Repairs

An inspection is useless if it is not followed up with prompt, professional roof repair. Your roofer will repair damage, replace missing parts, secure loose pieces, and advise you on a schedule of maintenance or roof replacement. The repairs will help get your roof ready for the winter ahead.

Ready

Your roofer is expert in readying a roof for winter’s onslaught. Clean gutters, new rubber boots on penetrations, waterproof coatings on low-slope areas like patio and porch roofs, and a thorough cleaning all add up to roof readiness.

Bill West Roofing is your best Kansas City ally in keeping winter’s harsh winds and brutal temperatures from damaging your home’s roof. Contact us today to be ready for the cruelest months.

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