Winter Roof Maintenance Tips: My First Winter as a Homeowner
Okay, so here’s the thing about buying a 20-year-old house: it’s kind of like adopting a very temperamental pet. One minute it’s charming you with its “character,” and the next, you’re Googling “is my roof about to collapse or just being dramatic?” Spoiler alert: roofs don’t have moods, but they do have a lot of ways to ruin your winter if you’re not paying attention. Ask me how I know. Last winter was my first in my “new” (read: old) house here in Olympia, and let me tell you, my roof and I went through a lot together. Snow, rain, random pine needles from the trees that apparently can’t mind their own business—it was a whole thing. But hey, I made it through, and I learned some very real lessons along the way. Now I’m basically a self-proclaimed winter roof maintenance expert. Or at least, I know enough to keep you from ending up where I did: in a full-on panic every time the wind picked up. So, here’s what I wish someone had told me before the snow started falling. Ice Dams Ar...