Winter-proofing a roof means fixing small problems before snow and ice make them big ones. Loose shingles, clogged gutters, a leaky attic. It’s late October in Grove City, so you’ve got a few mild weeks left to do it.
Skip it and you’ll probably find out in February, usually with a bucket.
The freezing isn’t the problem. The thawing is.
Cold by itself doesn’t hurt a roof much. What hurts it is Central Ohio’s habit of freezing at night, warming up by lunch, and freezing again by dinner.
Water gets into a gap. It freezes. It expands. Next day it melts and slides a little deeper. Repeat that for three months and you’ve got a leak over somebody’s kitchen from a crack you couldn’t have fit a dime into in October.
Do the gutters first
If you only have an hour, spend it here.
Wait until most of the leaves are down, then clean the gutters out. A packed gutter holds water, and frozen water in a gutter is a heavy block hanging off your house. It can rip the gutter loose or push water up under your shingles.
Look for sagging, loose fasteners, and seams that drip. Check that the downspouts empty away from the foundation, not right at it. Don’t love ladders? We do gutter cleaning. And if the gutters are beyond saving, replacement or a fresh install is a much nicer job in November than in January.
Ice dams
You know those big icicles along the eaves? Or a brown stain on a ceiling near an outside wall after a snow? That’s usually an ice dam.
Here’s how it works. Heat leaks from the house into the attic, warms the roof, and melts the snow on top. The meltwater runs down to the edge, which is cold, and freezes again. Ice builds up. New meltwater has nowhere to go, so it creeps under the shingles.
Most people try to fix this on the roof. It doesn’t work, because the roof isn’t the problem. The attic is. Better insulation, sealed air leaks around recessed lights and the attic hatch, and good ventilation. The Energy Star site has decent guidance on air sealing and insulation.
Look at your roof from the yard
You don’t need to climb up there. Stand back and look, binoculars if you’ve got them.
What are you hunting for? Curled or cracked shingles. Bare patches. Flashing around the chimney or vents that’s bent or lifting. A dip in the roof line. Junk piled up in the valleys.
Then grab a flashlight and go in the attic. Look for water stains, damp insulation, or daylight where there shouldn’t be any. A dry stain is cheap to fix. A wet one costs more.
Not sure what you’re looking at? A roof inspection with us is free. Better we find a loose flashing in November than you call us from a stepladder in a stor
The attic, again
I’m repeating myself because it matters. Most winter roof damage begins in the attic, and it’s the one place people never check.
Is the insulation even and deep? Do the bath fans and dryer vent go outside, or just into the attic? Are the soffit vents blocked by insulation? A roof has to breathe. Warm, damp air stuck up there turns into condensation, mold, and rotted wood, even if the shingles are perfect.
Frost on the underside of the roof deck on a cold morning? Not good. Something’s letting moist, warm air in where it shouldn’t be.
Small stuff worth five minutes
Trim the branches hanging over the roof. Snow and ice make them heavy, and when they drop they take shingles with them.
Check the seals around skylights. They’re a classic leak spot, and if yours are failing we handle skylight repairs. Look where the siding meets the roof too. A gap there lets water in. Cracked or loose panels? That’s siding repair.
Repair or replace?
Depends on the roof.
A few loose shingles or a worn flashing is a repair, and we’ll tell you so. But if the whole roof is curling, shedding granules, and leaking in three different places, you’re just feeding it money. At that point replacement usually makes more sense, and we’ll show you what we found so you can decide yourself.
More on roof repair and roof replacement is on our site. If it’s a big job, we offer financing, and the payment calculator will give you a rough monthly number before you talk to anybody.
If a storm already hit
Take photos first. Inside and out. Before you touch a thing.
Stay off an icy roof. If there’s an opening, a tarp can help, but only if you can put it on safely. Then call us. We handle storm restoration, we’re available 24/7 for insurance mitigation, and we work with your insurance company through the claim. One customer told us we helped get a multi-building claim approved, and it took several months.
If you do end up replacing, we install Atlas Pinnacle Pristine shingles. Ask us about cold-weather performance, wind ratings and the warranty when we quote it. The National Roofing Contractors Association also has useful general advice on picking a roof system and a contractor.
Who we are
Sublime Roofing is locally owned and insured, at 6256 Seeds Rd in Grove City. Roofs, gutters and siding for homes, churches and businesses around Central Ohio, including Columbus, Galloway, Groveport and Canal Winchester.
What customers tell us is pretty consistent: we show up, we send photos as the job goes along, and we clean up. One reviewer said we came back the next morning to check for debris because we’d finished after dark. Some of our work is on the recent projects page.
Quick answers
When should I winter-proof my roof?
Fall. Missed it? The first mild day.
What causes winter leaks?
Ice dams, clogged gutters, bad flashing, worn shingles. Heat leaking out of the attic makes most of them worse.
Can I handle an ice dam myself?
Don’t chip at it. You’ll tear up shingles, and a ladder on ice is a bad plan. A roof rake from the ground helps with snow. The real fix is attic insulation and ventilation. If water’s already coming in, call us.
How do I know I need a new roof?
Curling or cracked shingles across the whole roof, bare patches, sagging, or leaks that keep coming back. A free inspection will answer it.
Do you work with insurance?
Yes. We document the damage and coordinate with your insurance company.
How do I get a free inspection?
Call (614) 918-0018 or use the contact form. Give us your address, what you’ve noticed, and when it started.
Get ahead of the snow
Want a second set of eyes on your roof before winter? Book a free inspection or call (614) 918-0018. We serve Grove City and the rest of Central Ohio.