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This guide provides a season-by-season maintenance checklist to extend the life of any roof. Spring: inspect for winter damage, clear gutters, check flashing sealant. Summer: trim overhanging branches, check attic ventilation. Fall: clear leaves from gutters and valleys, inspect chimney crown. Winter: monitor for ice dams, check attic for moisture. Most issues caught early cost under $300 to fix; ignored, the same issues become $5,000+ leaks. Pair with our Inspection Checklist blog post.
Most of what shortens a roof's life is not weather, it is maintenance that never happened. An hour twice a year and a look after every storm is most of it, and almost none of it needs you on the roof.
Twice a year
Clear the gutters and check they still fall toward the downspouts.
Look at the roof from the ground with binoculars: lifted, cracked or missing shingles, particularly along rakes and ridges.
Check every flashing you can see — chimney, walls, skylights — for lifting, rust or a smear of cement.
Go into the attic with a torch: stains on the deck, damp insulation, daylight where it should not be, blocked soffit vents.
Cut back branches that overhang or touch the roof.
Check the downspouts discharge well clear of the foundation.
After a storm
Wind: check the rakes and ridge first, which is where lifting starts.
Hail: look for dark bruise marks on the shingles and dents in soft metals — gutters, vents and flashing.
Debris: anything resting on the roof comes off before it works a hole.
Photograph anything you find, before any repair. An insurance claim depends on it.
Things worth doing once
Fit zinc or copper strips near the ridge if algae streaking is a problem in your climate — rain carries a trace of metal down the roof and suppresses it for years.
Fit baffles at the eaves if insulation has closed off the soffit intake.
Extend the ice barrier at the eaves at the next reroof if the house has had ice dams.
Fit a kickout flashing at any wall-to-roof intersection that does not have one.
What to leave alone
Do not pressure wash. It strips the granules, which are the shingle's UV protection and its fire rating, and it voids most warranties.
Do not walk the roof unnecessarily, and never on tile or on a wet roof.
Do not seal over a problem with roof cement. It hides the fault and cracks within a couple of seasons.
Do not fit a second exhaust type on a plane that already has a ridge vent.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I maintain my roof?
Twice a year, and after every major storm. Most of it is done from the ground with binoculars and from inside the attic with a torch — very little needs you on the roof.
Can I pressure wash my roof?
No. The granules are the shingle's UV protection and its fire rating, and a pressure washer strips them. Most manufacturers void the warranty over it and the damage shows years later as premature failure.
How do I stop algae streaking?
Zinc or copper strips near the ridge, so rain carries a trace of metal down the roof. Cutting back overhanging branches removes the shade and damp the algae needs.
What should I check in the attic?
Water stains on the deck or rafters, damp or compressed insulation, daylight where it should not be, mould or a musty smell, winter frost on the sheathing, and whether the soffit vents are blocked.