Roof maintenance has a bad reputation as a thing contractors invent to create work. In fairness, sometimes it is. But the reason it keeps getting recommended is that the difference between a roof that reaches its rated life and one that fails five years early is mostly small stuff - a clogged valley, a blocked soffit vent, a split boot nobody noticed - and all of it is cheap to address early.
Twice a year, and after storms
That is the whole schedule. Spring, after the freeze-thaw season has done its work. Fall, before it starts again. Plus a check after any significant hail or high-wind event. Roofs past fifteen years and roofs under heavy tree cover benefit from more attention; everything else does fine on this.
Spring
- Clear gutters and downspouts of the winter accumulation, and check that downspouts still discharge away from the foundation.
- From the ground, look for shingles that lifted, creased or went missing over winter - particularly along ridges and rakes.
- Check the attic for new water staining. Winter is when leaks reveal themselves, and a stain that appeared this year is worth tracing now.
- Look at valleys for debris packed in over winter.
- Check the chimney flashing and any masonry. Freeze-thaw works on mortar joints all winter and this is when you see the result.
Fall
- Clear gutters - twice under mature trees, with the second pass after the leaves are actually down.
- Clear valleys, which get skipped far more often than gutters do.
- Verify soffit intake is not blocked by insulation. This one item does more for ice dam prevention than anything else on the list.
- Trim branches overhanging the roof.
- Check pipe boots for cracking. A split boot found in October is a small repair; found in January it is an emergency call.
- Confirm bathroom and kitchen exhaust fans vent outside rather than into the attic.
What is worth doing yourself
Ground-level observation with binoculars, attic inspection, and gutter clearing on a single-story home if you are comfortable and steady on a ladder. That covers most of the value.
What is not
- Walking on the roof. Beyond the fall risk, foot traffic damages shingles - particularly older, hail-affected or cold-weather-brittle ones. The damage you do looking for damage is a genuine problem.
- Pressure washing. It strips granules and drives water under the courses. It removes years of life from a roof in an afternoon.
- Chipping ice off the eaves. You will damage the shingles and the gutter, and the ice will come back next week because the cause is inside the attic.
- Sealant-based repairs on flashing. Caulk over a failed flashing is not a repair and it makes the eventual proper fix harder.
- Two-story gutter work, unless you have the right equipment and experience.
By housing type
On a bungalow or older home with a finished attic, ventilation is the item that matters most, and it is a fall check. On a low-slope roof - a two-flat, a rear addition, a garage - drains and scuppers replace gutters as the priority, and standing water 48 hours after rain is the signal to call. On a newer subdivision home with a complex roofline, the valleys carry a lot of concentrated water and are the thing to keep clear.
If you would rather not manage it, a scheduled maintenance visit covers the same list and produces a dated condition record, which has its own value when a warranty or insurance question comes up later.
This article is general guidance for Chicago-area property owners. Roofing problems are specific to the building, so nothing here substitutes for having your own roof looked at. Request a free estimate.