Taking care of your roof system here in the Minneapolis and St. Paul area isn’t overly difficult, as long as your roof gets inspected regularly.

Your first choice should be to get a roof inspection from a professional Minnesota roofing contractor.  

It can be difficult to do the job yourself, but there are some homeowners that are up to the task. If you are going to check out your roof's condition yourself, make sure that you know what to inspect, how to inspect it, and if you aren’t sure rely on help from a professional.

Your Roof:  What to Inspect

While it’s advisable to allow an expert roofer to inspect the roof of your home, if you don’t want to pay an expert to do it, you can check things out yourself as well. There are certain parts of your roof that you need to look at very closely. Take your time to look over the following sections of your roof to make sure you are ready for winter. By the way, many Twin Cities roofing companies will do a roof inspection free of charge.  It doesn't hurt to ask.  

Check Gutters and Downspouts

Your rain handling system is technically part of your roof.  Take a good look at the gutters and downspouts of your home to make sure they are cleaned out and ready to allow water to flow through them. Also make sure they aren’t corroding or cracking. This is a good time to look for little flecks from your asphalt shingles that could indicate premature wear.

Examine Flashing

Inspect the condition of all the flashing around your roof to be sure that it’s still in place properly and that it’s entirely intact. If you notice that water stains are showing up underneath the chimney in your home, or below attic windows, it’s possible that you need to replace the flashing and that your roofing isn’t the cause at all.

Look for Roofing Wear

Look at the roofing itself for signs of wear. Shingles begin to curl, crack and fall off when they get old enough. And sometimes this can happen if the roofing is defective or was poorly installed. Though rare, metal roofing can show signs of excess wear and possibly even some corrosion if the outer coating has worn off due to damage. Clay roofing tiles that are cracked and worn out are in need of replacement.

Warning Signs of Potential Roof Issues

While you're inspecting the roof of your home, there are certain warning signs that you should be on the lookout for. Keep an eye out for an excessive number of granules falling off the roof, or showing up in your gutters or downspout. Look out for curling or cracking shingles. Also look for water leaks into the attic or elsewhere on the roof. These are all indications that your roofing material is likely failing and that it needs to be replaced soon. Here are some things to look for when the weather is nice to find out how your roof is doing.

Keep an eye out for the potential warning signs of roof problems, and carefully inspect your home to be sure that it doesn’t have any issues. If you aren’t sure about how to properly inspect your roof, or you just want to leave the task up to professionals, consider hiring a professional Minnesota roofing contractor to handle the task for you. A contractor will know what to look for and how to fix any issues that they discover during the inspection.

If you want to speak with a qualified, licensed Minnesota roofing contractor, call us here at Quarve to find out how we can help.  We've been helping Minneapolis and St. Paul area homeowners take care of their roofs for over 30 years, and we're here to help you.