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Is Your Roof Ready for Santa?

• By DaVinci Roofscapes
• Homeowner Tips

He's making a list and checking it twice. Maybe you should do the same!

Upcoming winter weather means it's time to make your own list of items to check off to assure your roof is ready for snow, ice and freezing rain.

While gaping holes and messy leaks are two obvious signs that a roof needs to be replaced, sometimes the signs are less obvious. According to experts at DaVinci Roofscapes, there are some “insider tips” for knowing when it’s time to replace your roof.

Certainly if your roof is approaching the end of its life cycle — which is usually 20 – 25 years for asphalt shingles — it’s time to think about a new roof. However, a calendar shouldn’t be the only way you determine if it’s time to replace your roof.

You will want to seriously start thinking about replacing your roof with a polymer slate or composite shake roof when …

• Your neighbors have new roofs and you want to maintain the value of your home.
• Your neighbors have not added a new roof and you want to increase the resale value of your home.
• Your geographic area has seen an increase in severe weather conditions, (including hail or tornados) that require a stronger roofing material to handle the dramatic weather changes.
• Your existing roof is functional, but has staining that detracts from the look of your home.
• You want to switch to a low-maintenance roof that has a lifetime limited warranty.
• You don’t want to worry about wood rot caused by wood shakes and termites.
• Excessive snow in your area has caused substantial damage to your roof.

Too often homeowners wait until their roofs are old and worn out before considering an upgrade. Certainly curling, splitting and missing shingles are all warning signs that a roof needs to be replaced. However, with the changing weather patterns in our country combined with the need for homeowners to add value to their properties, consumers should be vigilant about looking for signs of wear along with upgrading their roofs.

Before Santa pays your home a visit this Christmas, make sure there's sturdy composite roofing overhead that will hold his weight — and help protect your home from winter weather.