By the time spring arrives, your roof has been through a winter of freezing, thawing, snow, and ice. Spring storms are next. A short check now can turn up small problems while they are still cheap to fix. Once storm season hits, know what to do about storm damage right away.
Start from the ground
Walk around the house with binoculars and look at each slope. You are looking for shingles that are cracked, curled, lifted, or missing, and for dark or bare patches. Check the ridge and the edges, since wind and ice hit those first. Look for anything that sticks up or hangs loose, such as flashing, vent caps, and trim.
Stay off the roof. Wet leaves, moss, and left-over winter moisture make it slippery.
Check the roof features
Chimneys, vents, skylights, and valleys are where leaks usually start. From the ground, look for gaps, lifted metal, rust streaks, cracked sealant, and debris in the valleys. If you see something that looks off, photograph it and note where it is.
Look at the gutters
Winter can leave gutters packed with leaves and debris, and ice can pull them away from the house. Clear them from a stable position, or hire someone. Check that downspouts carry water away from the foundation. A gutter that overflows or hangs loose sends water down the siding and under the roof edge.
Check the attic
If you can reach the attic safely, look at the underside of the roof deck for dark stains, damp wood, or daylight. Check the insulation for wet or flattened patches. Smell for mustiness. Winter leaves marks in the attic that you may not notice until a spring rain brings them out.
Check the ceilings
Look at the ceilings on your top floor for new stains, especially along exterior walls, where ice dams do their work. A stain you did not have in the fall deserves attention even if it looks dry now.
Trim and clear
Cut back branches that hang over the roof, and remove dead limbs before storms do it for you. Branches that rub the roof wear down the shingles, and falling ones can punch through.
What to do with what you find
Write it down with photos and dates. For small, clear problems, a roofer can make a quick repair. For anything that looks like it has leaked already, such as a stain or wet wood, do not wait for the next storm to test it. See our full guide to preventing roof leaks for year-round tips.
A checklist to keep
- shingles: cracked, curled, lifted, missing
- flashing: loose, rusted, or gapped
- vents and pipe boots: cracked or loose
- valleys: debris or wear
- gutters: clogged, sagging, pulled away
- attic: stains, damp wood, wet insulation
- ceilings: new stains
- trees: branches over the roof
Book a spring check
Call Roof Leak Repair Carol Stream IL at (630) 866-1445. Tell us what you saw over the winter, and we will tell you what to look at first. A professional roof inspection catches what a ground check misses.
Carol Stream Leak & Restoration is a free referral service. We connect Carol Stream homeowners with independent local roofing contractors — no fees to you, ever. Call (630) 866-1445 for fast help with a roof leak.