Close your eyes and imagine a house in a ruinous state. You’re probably envisioning a place with missing/broken window panes, a stained façade, and a caved-in roof. This means that, from the very start, we equate the state of the room with the state of the house as a whole.
This is hardly surprising since your home’s roof affects its:
- Structural integrity
- Resale value
- Energy-efficiency
This is why roof maintenance matters so much.
Aside from this, the location of your property greatly impacts your maintenance efforts. For instance, due to more extreme weather swings, longer wet seasons, and more severe winters, taking care of a roof in Minnesota is a bigger effort. Here’s a brief list you can use to make this easier.
Check For Leaks
Minnesota has slightly higher than average rainfall and significantly higher than average snowfall. This is why checking for leaks after and during the rain and when the snow starts melting is vital.
Looking for visible signs is the simplest way to proceed, but you don’t want to wait for the actual rain. By this time, you’ll already have the leak that will potentially damage your wooden furniture and flooring and leave water stains on the ceiling.
There are several methods you can employ to identify the issue:
- Examine the roof from the outside
- Check for daylight
- Perform a water test
You should especially look for leaks after the storm. While regular checks are always a good idea, time is not the only factor eroding your roof. A storm may damage your roof to such a degree that it may completely hamper its functionality. You may need a roof replacement after storm damage. The sooner you figure this out and start the process, the more property damage you’ll prevent.
Clean Gutters
Snowfall in Minnesota is already quite heavy, which means that if the gutters are full, the added weight of the snow may put additional stress on the gutter. More importantly, snow always melts, which means that your gutters’ functionality will be tested. If there’s a problem in the form of a clog, you’ll notice this fairly soon.
Another thing to consider is that water can be trapped in pockets created by this debris. They freeze when the temperatures get low enough (which they always do in Minnesota). This naturally occurring phenomenon can damage your gutters; the only way to avoid it is to keep your gutters clean.
Then, the wind strength is slightly higher in Minnesota, as well. This means that your gutters will be exposed to more debris, and clogging is more likely to happen. This is why homeowners in some regions have the privilege of being more lenient when scheduling gutter cleaning projects; in Minnesota, a bi-annual checkup is a bare minimum.
Since this is so important and must be done regularly, you should start by investing in proper gutter-cleaning equipment.
Check the attic
Depending on how frequently you visit the attic and the general state of affairs, you may want to take some health-related safety precautions. We’re talking about wearing protective gear like dust masks and gloves. There’s usually so much dust up there that the chance that your skin/lungs won’t get in touch with a notorious allergen is not that high.
When you’re up there, there are a couple of things you want to pay attention to:
- Insulation assessment
- Ventilation inspection
- Roof deck inspection
- Electrical and plumbing connections
Previously, we’ve already mentioned the daylight test, which, more or less, requires you to go to the attic during the daytime and see if there’s any light seeping in from the outside.
Most importantly, you want to look for signs of pests and critters. You would be surprised at how efficient these creatures are at finding their way in.
Ultimately, checking the integrity of your attic matters for energy efficiency just as much as for keeping your home warm and dry.
Trim the trees around the house
Previously, we’ve talked about things like:
- Gutter clogs
- Damage to the roof (broken shingles)
- Critter infestation in your attic
Now, these three scenarios have in common that the surrounding trees are usually responsible. A gutter may be clogged due to the leaves and branches getting stuck and causing a clog. A fallen branch may break a shingle, causing a leak. Critters always start from the outside, using a branch as a launching ramp to enter your attic.
The solution to all of these problems lies in trimming and pruning.
Doing this safely is not as simple as it sounds, and it’s a priority that you do it safely. A healthy tree on your property increases the property value. Not to mention that a tree also provides shade and reduces the noise in the neighborhood, and these are just the “selfish” reasons you want it around.
Check for mold
Mold is a serious problem. It poses health risks and structural damage and may even impact your insurance and resale value (thus also posing a financial risk for a homeowner). This is why you need to:
- Inspect for it
- Treat it (if found)
- Ensure that the conditions on your roof and in your attic prevent mold
Remember that mold is toxic, so take protective gloves and a mask when going for it. Also, mold is harder to spot than you think in the early stages (this is what you’re aiming for), so either go when the visibility is high or wear a potent flashlight.
One thing that’s a bit paradoxical about solving your mold issues is that it’s mostly prevented by doing the other items on the list. If your roof has decent ventilation and there’s no water damage, it’s highly unlikely that mold will ever develop. Still, you can use it as an additional indicator.
Wrap up
Ultimately, while the steps are the same regardless of the location, their significance and frequency are not. You must double down on your roof maintenance efforts in an area with greater weather differences, higher wind intensity, higher average rainfall, and higher snowfall. The above-listed five suggestions should help you out.
