Spring Roof Check After a Michigan Winter: A Step-By-Step Guide

A spring roof is a bad place to walk. Shingles are brittle in the cold, moss and algae are slick when wet, and shaded slopes can hold frost or ice into late morning. Falls from roofs and ladders are among the leading causes of serious injury in construction, and homeowners do not have the anchors and harnesses a crew uses. Everything below can be done from the ground, the attic or a ladder set at the gutter line.

If you use a ladder, follow OSHA's basic rules for portable ladders: set the base out one foot for every four feet of height to the support point, extend the ladder at least 3 feet above the edge you are working at, keep three points of contact while climbing, and look for overhead power lines before you raise it, especially the service drop to the house. Do not step from the ladder onto the roof. A pair of binoculars and a phone camera with zoom will show you nearly everything a quick walk would.

The gutters and the splash area under each downspout are a record of what came off the roof over the winter. Before you flush them, take a look. A handful of granules is normal on any asphalt roof, especially a newer one. Heavy drifts of granules, enough to make a dark sand pile at a downspout, suggest aging shingles or surface damage worth a closer look.

Other things that turn up there tell their own story. Pieces of shingle mean something broke. Nails mean fasteners are working loose. Bits of sealant or roof cement mean a patch somewhere has let go. Note which downspout they came from, because that tells you which part of the roof to look at with the binoculars.

Ice dam leaks have a recognizable footprint. Water backs up under the shingles at the eave and comes into the house just inside the exterior wall, so the stains show along the top of exterior walls, at the corners of upstairs ceilings, above windows and sometimes as peeling paint or swollen trim on the outside wall below the eave. The University of Minnesota Extension notes that ice dam water can damage walls, ceilings and insulation, and that moisture left behind can lead to mold.

Check closets and rooms you rarely use, which is where a winter leak often goes unnoticed. Then check around chimneys, skylights and bathroom ceilings, which point to flashing and boot problems rather than ice. If you find wet drywall or insulation, it needs to dry. The EPA's mold guidance is to dry water-damaged areas and items within 24 to 48 hours to prevent mold growth, and drying or replacing interior finishes is a job for a restoration or drywall contractor, not a roofer.

Before anything is repaired, take dated photos of each problem from the ground and in the attic, plus any interior stains. Keep them with last fall's photos and any repair invoices. That record helps a roofer diagnose, helps you if a problem comes back, and matters if you think damage came from a specific storm.

Michigan's Department of Insurance and Financial Services lists a policyholder's duties after a loss, including notifying the insurer or agent as soon as possible and taking reasonable action to minimize further damage, such as covering damaged property. Most homeowners policies treat gradual wear and deterioration differently from sudden events like a wind storm, so not everything a spring check finds is a claim. If you think it might be, read your policy and call your agent before the damage is repaired, and keep receipts for any temporary protection.