Winter Care Tips for a Flat Roof

Flat roofs are great – especially if you’re able to use your flat roof as a living space or a rooftop garden. However, they require extra care in the winter time to ensure that they stay healthy and sturdy. We all want our roofs to last as long as possible, right? Follow our outline below for winter care tips for a flat roof.

1.    Keep it Clean

Sweep your roof regularly, especially in the fall. If you have trees near the roofline, you’ll want to remove fallen leaves in a timely manner to prevent them from rotting and weakening your rooftop. If you live in an area with pine trees, make sure to keep pine needles from clogging up your gutters and drains.

2.    Prep the Roof Drain

Your roof needs to drain during the rainy season, so make sure that any drains or gutters are free of leaves and debris as well. This often means getting onto the rooftop and pushing out pine needles with a broom. If you’re not comfortable doing this yourself, call your local roofer for assistance – we don’t want anyone slipping and injuring themselves over the holidays!

3.    Trim Your Trees

To prevent more leaves from piling up, make sure to trim nearby trees each season. This also prevents branches from falling onto and damaging the roof during windy and rainy weather. Not only that, but small branches and twigs can pile up in your gutters just like leaves do.

4.    Check for Leaks

Visually inspect your roof and look for low spots, sagging, puddled water, cracks, or areas where the roof doesn’t cleanly meet up with other walls or joints. Sagging roof areas will need to be reinforced, as they can be a prime target for leaks and cracks.

5.    Check for Mold

Look for mold, moss, or mildew growth on your flat roof. It’s best to clean and remove these substances as soon as you spot them, since biological growth can weaken the roofing material and case leaks and cracks.