Fall Roof Inspection Checklist

Stay Proactive When it Comes to Roof and Home Maintenance

Like your car, appliances, or overall health, your home requires constant upkeep and preventative maintenance. Regularly checking your roof can ensure that your investment is protected from further damage and additional expenses. As the seasons and leaves change, it’s important to keep an eye out for potential issues.

Identifying the Warning Signs

While you’re cleaning out your gutters or hanging up holiday decorations, it’s good to check your roof for a few key indicators that things may be going awry. With this handy checklist we’ve put together, it’s simple to make sure your roof is in prime condition. Discover what you should be on the lookout for and what these signs may mean for your roof.

Missing Shingles

The first and most important warning sign your roof may be in jeopardy is missing shingles. Often caused by storm damage or strong winds, a missing shingle can lead to significant damage beneath the surface of your roof. Even if your roof is only missing a single shingle, its absence could result in a leak.

Excessive Granules

Granules are another indicator of a deteriorating roof. After it rains or while you’re cleaning leaves out of your gutters, take time to check below your downspouts for little pebbles or granules. If they are present, your shingles don’t have a lot of life left and will need to be replaced.

Curling Shingles

Are your shingles lifting at the edges? This phenomenon, known as curling, is often a result of typical wear and tear or poor ventilation. It can signify further underlying damage that requires extensive solutions.

Clogged Gutters

As you’re clearing leaves out of the gutters, make sure you take a look at your gutters’ condition. Are they clogged? Backed up? Overflowing? A blocked gutter will fail to direct water (and melting Wisconsin snow) away from your roof, causing potential damage.

Patchy Frost

On a frosty morning, you can easily spot signs of poor ventilation. If there are circular patches where the frost has melted, these areas are often hotter than the rest of a home’s attic. This showcases uneven, poor ventilation that can cause your roof to warp.

If you’re seeing any of these warning signs, it’s time to start thinking about repairs or a new roof. These symptoms often mean the composition of your shingles is breaking down. With normal wear and tear, the asphalt gets “cooked” and releases oils, leading to curling and falling granules.

Preparing Your Roof for Winter

Don’t wait until it’s too late! Fall is the perfect time to catch issues that may cause you a headache once the snow starts to fall. For example, paying attention to fall frost can help you catch poor ventilation issues that may result in ice damming — which can damage and pull gutters away from your roof — once winter hits.

In addition to looking for pre-existing issues, it’s important to take some time to prevent further damage. Removing sticks, twigs, and leaves that fall onto your roof is essential to maintaining good water flow. Impeded water flow can cause water to saturate your shingles, which in turn will freeze during the winter months and lead to more problems for your roof.

While L.H. Krueger does work year-round, there are issues we can’t fix during wintertime. Removing debris and checking for poor ventilation are two of the steps you can take to ensure your roof is ready for winter — or else you’ll be fixing it in spring!

Be an Active Listener Year-Round

Don’t wait for a leak. If your roof has an issue, chances are it’s trying to tell you! Take a walk around a few times a year — check the gutters and look for missing shingles. Many of these issues can be addressed with a simple service call to L.H. Krueger. However, if left unattended, they can mean bigger problems in the not-so-near future. Avoid a complete re-roof and additional expenses — pay attention to your roof’s warning signs.

Prevent Future Damage With L.H. Krueger

When your roof tells you something’s wrong, it’s time to call L.H. Krueger. If you find any of these issues during your fall inspection, we’ll help you take the necessary steps to prepare your roof for winter. Get your free estimate today!

Do you have a worn or leaking roof? Are you looking for advice or assistance with your next roof repair or replacement job? Contact L.H. Krueger and Son, Milwaukee’s home exterior repair experts.

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