With winter in full swing, many Minnesotans spend a great deal of time hunkered down in their homes trying to stay warm. For us, the cold is certainly unpleasant, but with the proper clothing and protection, we’ll all come out in the spring fresh as daisies and ready to tackle the upcoming year.

Your roof works in a similar fashion. With the proper maintenance, the right brand of shingles, and the right roofing contractor, your roof can last through many winters without an issue. However, the climate fluctuates and snow load varies, and some years your standard wintertime maintenance procedures might not be enough to keep your roof from taking a significant structural hit.

Below, we discuss a few common signs that the winter weather is beginning to take its toll on your roof, what you can do about it, and help you decipher if you should have Midwest Exteriors MN come look at your winter weathered roof!

The Telltale Signs of Winter Roofing Damage

As all Minnesotans know, it gets snowy here in the wintertime. Although the extreme temperatures may be something we are used to, the outside of our homes can sometimes take a harder hit due to all the ice and snow.

Snow covers everything the eye can see, which includes your roof! Unfortunately, this means that if you can’t exactly closely examine your roof due to all that white, it can be a little hard to judge its condition.

Luckily, there are a few telltale signs your roof is feeling a little under the weather that can easily be seen from inside the house.

Water Damage or Mold

Mysterious stains on your ceiling can be a sign of a chink in your roofing’s armor, so to speak. Stains can tend to point to water leaking in from above – how else would it have gotten up there in the first place?

Excess moisture from a leaky roof can also create the perfect environment for mold, an opportunistic fungi, to grow. In short, if your home displays strange stains of unknown origin, a leaky roof could be to blame. That being said, certain siding issues or a problem with your gutters can also lead to similar damage.

It's important to have a versatile company of gutter installers, siding installation services, and roofing contractors do a thorough inspection on your house to discern the true cause of the moisture issue.

Light in Your Attic

If you can, climb up to your attic every now and again during the winter season. Though it may be cold, its proximity to your roof means it’s one of the first places you’ll be able to see damage.

In certain circumstances, daylight in your attic can be a telltale sign that your roof is falling apart in places and that you’ll need roofing replacement in the spring. Your roof decking (the layer that connects your roof’s exterior to your home), for example, should never let light through it. However, seeing daylight in your attic isn’t a hard-and-fast sign that your roof needs to be replaced.

Certain venting systems naturally let a little light in. Due to all the nuance involved, calling a roofing company to ascertain the condition of your roof as it pertains to your attic is always the best course of action.

Animals in the Attic or Walls

Many animal species, from raccoons to mice, don’t hibernate through the winter months, but they do see a warm and relatively safe human home as the perfect place to survive the extreme cold. Pests commonly burrow near roofs, gutters, and chimneys.

An airtight roofing job and good preventive maintenance tends to keep these critters out, but if you find yourself needing an exterminator to rid yourself of them, a hole-ridden roof could be to blame.

Once you’ve taken care of the immediate animal problem, a roofing contractor should run a thorough check of your home to make sure all the necessary holes are patched up so that the problem doesn’t happen again.

How to Avoid Roof Damage

Needing continuous maintenance on your roof is expensive, inconvenient, and worrisome. Now that you can detect the signs of damage, and know to call a qualified professional; You will want to avoid frequently replacing or repairing your roof.

Here are some easy and helpful ways to keep your roof in the best shape possible!

Clean & Remove Debris

The easiest and most accessible way to continuously care for your roofing is to clean it regularly. This can be done annually in the fall to ensure it is ready for the extreme winters.

You can do this yourself with the proper safety precautions, or hire someone to upkeep your roof and gutters. Cleaning your gutters and removing excess rubbish may eliminate ice and snow buildup that can cause larger issues.

Schedule an Inspection

The best way to know your exterior is in good shape is to have an inspection done annually. Having your roof inspected ensures that your roof is all set for the foreseeable future, or a professional may suggest ways to prevent any current damage from getting worse.

Having an inspection done allows you to know that any visible or invisible damage is being assessed. For best practice, schedule an inspection before or after the winter months!

Trim Nearby Trees

Trimming nearby trees in the warmer months is a great way to reduce the amount of debris going into your gutters. Any and all buildup will cause damage if not taken care of.

Large amounts of snow and ice commonly rest on trees during the colder months, and will eventually find their way to your roof or gutters if they are not trimmed when needed.

Make Repairs Immediately

It may go without saying, but always take care of exterior damage immediately. Damage easily spreads without the visible eye seeing it worsen. Midwest Exteriors MN is here to help.

We will inspect your roof, and even help you navigate through the difficult process of insurance and claims. We promise to advocate for proper care as your home is vital to your home’s value, your safety, and the overall comfort of you and your family! 

If you’ve recently had your roofing redone, don’t forget to continue the upkeep. Avoid needing to replace your roof any time soon. Midwest Exteriors MN aims to keep your home in the best shape possible!

Contact Midwest Exteriors MN for Roofing Services

Unfortunately, signs that your roof is feeling a little stressed out might not be immediately obvious to the naked eye, but Midwest Exteriors MN is here to help you find and navigate through all your exterior needs.

Our versatile expertise, from gutters to siding to roofing, makes us the ideal choice for anyone—realtor, HOA, and homeowner alike—who is concerned about their home’s wellbeing.

Give us a call today at 651-346-9477 to speak to a professional.