Are you looking to save on your energy bills this winter? You’ll probably start with your HVAC, and rightfully so, since this appliance uses a great deal of energy in your home. While cutting back on using the HVAC is a considerable way to save on your energy bill, one even more cost-effective way to save is above your head – roof repair!
Nearly 25% of your hard-earned money could be slipping right through your roof-literally. Roof repair is key.
Energy loss through the roof forces your HVAC to work even harder during winter, keeping an endless cycle of waste going year after year. Here are four ways to attend to your roof repairs to stop wasting money on energy bills.
Roof Repair – Seal Any Openings
One way you may lose a significant amount of energy is through tiny openings in your roof. In winter, these cracks or holes caused by general wear or pests allow warm air to escape. Since these holes may be as small as a nail, they may not be easy to detect.
To avoid losing money through these tiny openings, contacting a roofer before the colder seasons to inspect your roof and make any necessary repairs is a good idea. Not only will fixing these gaps keep you from losing energy, but it can also prevent pests from entering your home and setting up nests in winter.
Roof Repair – Replace Missing and Damaged Shingles
Another way you could be losing energy is through missing shingles. Shingles aren’t just a decorative part of your roof. When they are in good condition, they keep the elements out and deflect the sun’s harmful UV rays.
However, if they are missing or damaged, they aren’t as effective. Missing or broken shingles could expose your roof decking by allowing water to destroy the exposed wood slowly, eventually leading to leaks or severe wood rot.
Prolonged moisture in your attic space can cause mold growth and even attract pests, which could lead to more damage and health problems for your family. Besides this, a severely damaged roof will increase energy loss and drive up your energy bill.
Although a missing shingle or two may not seem harmful, the domino effect of damage it can cause can result in enormous financial issues. As a roofer inspects cracks and holes in your roof, they will also encourage you to replace missing or damaged shingles.
Insulate the Attic
One of the biggest threats to your roof in winter is ice dams. This happens when snow starts melting and forming blocks of ice that collect along the roof’s edge. As a result, melting snow can’t freely fall from your roof into the gutters and wash away from your home.
Instead, the block of ice pushes the mix of slush back upward under the roof shingles, allowing the water to enter your attic space. Not only does this cause severe water damage, but it can also allow cool air into your attic space, driving up energy bills.
Ice dams form primarily because your attic lacks significant insulation. As the heat in the home travels upward to the attic, this heat will escape through a roof that isn’t well insulated. So, when it snows, the trapped heat in the attic melts the snow, forming ice dams on various parts of the roof.
It is a good idea to properly insulate your roof to keep this phenomenon from destroying your roof and your gutters.
If you have a new home, chances are your builder only provided minimal insulation for your attic space, or they may not provide any insulation at all to help them save on building costs. If you have a home that is not a new build, the previous owners may have also opted to keep the attic space unfinished to save money – or at least they thought it saved money.
Unfortunately, unfinished spaces in a home can be a significant source of money loss. Proper attic insulation can help prevent ice dams and help you save on energy costs this winter.
Get a New Roof
In some instances, roof repair or sealing holes, replacing shingles, or insulating the attic just won’t cut it. If your roof is severely damaged or much older than the recommended life span for your roof type, you may need to get a new one.
A new roof can help reduce your energy costs by several hundred dollars annually. Additionally, a new roof, mainly asphalt, can increase your home value by 61 percent. So, if you plan to sell your home or refinance, you can get more bang for your buck with a new roof.
Roofing, Siding and Insulation Installation for a Sound Home
Are you ready to save money this winter by improving the condition of your roof? Level Up Improvement in Dearborn specializes in home efficiency with expert roof installation and repair, insulation installation, home siding installation, new windows, doors and more! Our goal is to make each home as comfortable and efficient as possible so that homeowners can feel good about their homes and their living conditions.
Call one of our home improvement contractors today to schedule a roof inspection and learn how you can improve your roof before winter hits!