Fall Roof Checklist Before a Minot Winter

To prepare your roof for a Minot winter, check the shingles and flashing for damage, clean the gutters and downspouts, clear the attic soffits, and seal air leaks into the attic. Do it in October, while days are still warm enough for shingles to seal and before snow hides the problems. Anything that leaks a little in fall will leak a lot under a snow pack.

Winter in Ward County is hard on a roof. It sits under snow for months, it freezes and thaws, and it takes wind off the open prairie. A small loose shingle in October can turn into a wet ceiling in February. This checklist covers what to look at, what you can do yourself, and what to leave to a roofer.

Why October is the deadline

Asphalt shingles need temperatures above about 40 F to seal down properly. The self-seal strip on each shingle softens in the sun and bonds to the shingle below. Once our days stay colder than that, new shingles and repairs do not seal on their own. They can lift in the wind until spring.

That makes fall the best time for repairs. It is also when a roofer can actually see the roof. After the first lasting snow, missing shingles, loose flashing and hail bruises are buried until April.

A few other reasons fall makes sense:

• Hail season runs May to September, so any summer storm damage should be found now
• Gutters are full of leaves and seeds after the trees drop
• Attic problems are easier to fix before it is cold enough to frost
• Roofers book up fast once the first storm hits

Your fall roof checklist

Here is the full list in one place. Most items take a few minutes from the ground or the attic hatch.

Item	What to look for	Who should do it
Shingles	Missing, cracked, curled or lifted shingles, bare spots with no granules	Look from the ground; repairs by a roofer
Hail damage	Dents in vents, gutters and downspouts, dark spots on shingles	Roofer inspection
Flashing	Loose or rusted metal at chimneys, walls and valleys	Roofer
Pipe boots	Cracked rubber collars around plumbing vents	Roofer
Gutters	Leaves, seeds, sagging runs, loose hangers	Homeowner from a ladder, or a pro
Downspouts	Clogs, missing extensions, water near the foundation	Homeowner
Attic	Blocked soffits, wet spots, daylight around pipes	Homeowner look; fixes by a pro
Trees	Branches touching or hanging over the roof	Homeowner or tree service
Roof rake	Have one ready before the first big snow	Homeowner

Check shingles and flashing from the ground

You do not need to climb up to learn a lot. Walk around the house with a pair of binoculars on a bright afternoon. Look at each slope.

Signs of shingle trouble

• Shingles that are missing, creased or flipped up at the corners
• Curling edges or cupped shingles
• Dark patches where the granules are gone
• Piles of granules at the bottom of the downspouts
• Rows that look wavy or uneven

If several of these show up at once, the roof may be near the end. Our list of signs a roof needs replacing will help you decide if a repair still makes sense.

Do not skip a hail check

Hail damage is easy to miss from the ground. Look at the soft metal first: roof vents, gutters, downspouts and window wraps. Fresh dents there mean the shingles took hits too. Hail bruises crack the mat under the granules, and water gets in when that spot freezes and thaws all winter. If a summer storm went through your part of town, have the roof looked at before snow covers the evidence.

Flashing and pipe boots

Flashing is the metal that seals the roof where it meets a chimney, a wall or a valley. Pipe boots are the rubber collars around plumbing vents. Both are top leak spots in winter. Rubber boots crack after years of sun, and the gap lets meltwater run straight down the pipe. A boot is a small, cheap repair in October. It is a stained ceiling in March.

Clean the gutters and downspouts

Gutters full of leaves hold water. That water freezes into a solid block of ice at the eave. The ice adds weight to the gutter and gives an ice dam a head start. Once the gutter is frozen solid, meltwater has nowhere to go.

• Scoop out leaves, seeds and shingle grit after the trees are bare
• Flush each downspout with a hose and make sure water comes out the bottom
• Check that the gutters slope toward the downspouts
• Tighten loose hangers so the gutter can hold snow and ice weight
• Put the downspout extensions back on so meltwater runs away from the foundation

Use a sturdy ladder on firm ground and have someone hold it. If you are not comfortable up high, this is a good job to hand off.

Look in the attic before it gets cold

The attic is where most winter roof problems actually start. Heat leaking up from the house melts the snow on the roof, and the water refreezes at the cold eaves. That is how ice dams form. NDSU Extension engineers say the key to stopping them is enough attic insulation and ventilation to keep the roof near the outdoor temperature. Their release on reducing ice dam damage also lists common heat leaks: plumbing, wiring, recessed lights and the attic hatch.

With a flashlight from the hatch, check for:

1. Insulation pushed into the soffits so no air can come in at the eaves
2. Water stains or dark spots on the underside of the roof deck
3. Rusty nail tips, a sign of frost in past winters
4. A bath fan duct that ends in the attic instead of outside
5. Gaps around pipes, wires and light fixtures

ENERGY STAR has a guide to sealing attic air leaks that shows common leak spots. It also says a history of ice dams is a reason to get a pro to look before doing it yourself.

Plan for snow and ice

Minot averages about 38 inches of snow a year, and Ward County roofs are built to a 35 psf ground snow load. Most roofs handle that fine. Trouble comes from drifting, wet snow and ice at the eaves. Before winter:

• Buy a roof rake. Pulling the bottom few feet of snow off from the ground helps stop ice dams.
• Know where your power lines are before you use a long aluminum rake.
• Never plan to climb on a snowy roof. Rake from the ground or call someone.
• Trim branches that hang over the roof. Heavy snow and ice can bring them down.

For more on how much weight is too much, read our guide to roof snow load limits. Keep an eye on the forecast from the National Weather Service in Bismarck, which posts winter storm watches and warnings for our area. A big storm coming is a good reason to rake the eaves early.

When to call a roofer this fall

Some jobs are easy for a homeowner. Others are not worth the risk. Call a roofer if you see:

• Missing or lifted shingles
• Hail dents on vents, gutters or the siding from this summer
• Loose flashing or cracked pipe boots
• Stains on the ceiling or the roof deck
• Soft spots or sagging lines on the roof

Fall repairs go on while shingles can still seal. A single point repair usually runs $350 to $1,400 in Minot. If the roof needs more than that, you will at least know before snow covers it.

Getting a Minot roof inspected before the snow

If you would rather not guess, book a fall roof inspection in Minot. It takes about 45 minutes and you get a photo report the same day. We check the shingles, flashing, pipe boots and gutters, and we look at the attic intake ventilation too. If the roof is fine, we will tell you that.

If you are thinking about a replacement in spring, run your numbers in our roof cost calculator first. Then call (380) 247-5157. We work Monday to Friday 7am to 6pm and Saturday 8am to 2pm, and storm calls are answered 24/7.

Questions we get asked