Is your roof ready for winter?

EPHRATA — Your roof may look ready for winter. But is it really? “You (think you’re) fine until you see a stain,” said Sergio Miramontes, sales manager for Heavenly Roofing. “And when do you usually see a stain? In the winter. By the time you’re seeing it, it’s been leaking for seven to 10 years. Now you’ve got problems with your attic, probably mold on your sheeting or your insulation. It’s already wet, like cotton candy. It’s created issues, but no homeowner thinks about that.” The time to find out about problems is before they get big, Miramontes said. Having the home inspected regularly can alert a homeowner to problems that they wouldn’t notice ordinarily. Especially in older homes, Miramontes said; problems develop that aren’t obvious to the untrained eye. “Even if it’s a couple of nails that don’t have tar, that’s an issue,” he said. “Your pipe boots, they’re cracked. The longer you wait (to have it inspected), the more it’s going to cost you … Next year, your roof is going to cost you more than it did last year.” It’s best to inspect a roof at least once a year, according to Allstate Insurance, and twice a year if the home is older. Homeowners should bring in a professional to check it, as moving around on a roof is dangerous without the proper training.