Lots of people make New Year's resolutions this time of year. But have you thought about making some for your home? One of the best we can suggest is to have a new roof installed.

A new year is like a fresh start. It's often the time that people make changes in their lives, vowing to do things better. Evaluating your home fits right in with this trend. Your home is probably your biggest investment, so being confident you're making the best choices in protecting and maintaining it should be on your new year's to-do list.

And since your home's first line of protection is its roof, thinking about getting a new year is a logical place to start. But getting a new roof is a big decision. This comes with many different factors to think about, so you may want to consider all of them before the time comes to replace anything or do anything inside the home.

First, do you need a new roof? Here are some steps you can take to find out you whether your roof needs repair or replacement. (We do both.) A professional inspection will give you an accurate assessment, but there are things you can check yourself:

  1. Check for moisture and leaks in the attic, as well as light coming through. This can mean that you have something happening on the roof that should be covered. There shouldn’t be anything coming through from the top of the house.
  2. If you have asphalt shingles, there shouldn't be any that lift away from the roof, they should be laying flat on the top of the house. You want to make sure that none of them are missing during this process, as well.
  3. If the roof looks like it is sagging or that there are rotten spots, then you need to think about having it completely redone and having a professional look at it, as this can be a hazard.
  4. Moss can trap moisture and other problems on and inside the roof, so if any is noticed, you will want to have this taken care of.
  5. If the roof is 20+ years old, it may be time for a new one. Consider the benefits of replacing it with a metal roof.

Don’t panic if you do notice missing shingles or damage to the roof. This is something that can be dealt with fairly easily. But whether your roof just needs some repair work or it's time to have it replaced completely, don’t put it off for too long, as this can mean bad things for your home.

Speak with our Minnesota roofing professionals regarding a long-lasting metal roof for your home if you want to skip having to do this every few years or so. Metal roofing is a strong, long-lasting product to have on the top of your home. And we believe it's the very best protection you can get. Time for a new roof this year? Make it metal!