Winter Roof Problems (& How to Fix Them)
Prepare for Michigan’s harsh winters by knowing how to fix and prevent these four common roof problems.
Prepare for Michigan’s harsh winters by knowing how to fix and prevent these four common roof problems.
We don’t need to tell you that Michigan winters are harsh. Although the winter solstice isn’t until December, snowfall can start as early as late October, so it’s critical that you start thinking about maintenance in late summer and early fall.
For many homeowners, it’s easy to remember to schedule furnace tune-ups or shut off outdoor water supplies when temperatures are regularly below freezing, but many people forget about the most important part of their homes—the roof.
Can you imagine living in a home without a roof? We don’t want to!
And while neglecting your roof doesn’t mean you’ll wake up and find it completely gone one day, what it does mean is you’re less likely to catch and resolve problems that can result in water damage, air drafts, foundational issues, and costly structural damage.
So, as a homeowner committed to being vigilant this year, what should you be on the lookout for?
“Maybe we won’t get snow this year” for Michigan is like saying “Maybe we won’t have strikingly hot summers” for Arizona. It’s going to happen, whether you like it or not.
While we know it’s not desirable to go outside when it’s cold and snowy, we recommend inspecting your roof after heavy snowfall, especially when you’re forecasted to get 6-plus inches of snow.
Your roof is designed to handle a specific amount of weight, and exceeding that capacity can lead to structural issues at worst. Additionally, the angle of the sun is different in the winter (we’re not scientists, so we’ll skip the in-depth explanation as to why). This angle change, depending on the pitch of your roof, means that you could have a larger north-facing side, which doesn’t get as much sunlight. As a result, the north-facing side will experience worse and longer snow build-up because the sun won’t reach that area to melt it.
Beyond structural damage, snow build-up can cause:
Snow that accumulates on your roof will eventually melt. On many properties, heat from the attic causes this snow to melt. However, this snow melt isn’t uniform, and the snow can refreeze as it reaches the edge of the roof and the gutters, where the roof isn’t as warm, creating an ice dam. Once an ice dam forms, it prevents any subsequent snow melt from reaching the gutters and properly draining away from the home, leading to sagging gutters, shingle damage, leaks, and wood rot.
The best way to remove an ice dam is to schedule professional removal services. Reputable contractors will use a slow melt technique with a steam machine that dissolves the ice dam without damaging the roof.
While it may be tempting, never use a hammer or chisel, which is a great method for damaging your shingles. We also don’t recommend using a blow torch. Most of the time, it’s not a good idea to play with fire.
If ice dams are forming frequently, we recommend having them removed and then contacting your roofer. Be sure to photograph the ice dams, which will help your contractor understand what might be causing them.
While ice dams can be prevented, keep in mind that the roof’s pitch and design influence ice dam formation. If you have a multi-level roof or overhangs and eaves over unheated spaces, you’re more likely to experience ice dams just by the nature of your roof.
With that aside, the best prevention techniques include:
Condensation issues are easy to miss early on. However, moisture in the attic is likely to turn into mold or mildew, which can create larger problems, including wood rot.
Multiple factors can cause attic condensation, and these events can be whole-house issues or singular (localized/isolated). Some of the most common causes of attic condensation include:
If you notice attic condensation, don’t assume that your whole attic system is failing, most often, it’s one specific problem in one specific location and can be fixed based on the cause (e.g. adding insulation to a gap, sealing air leaks over a kitchen, redirecting a bathroom fan, etc.).
The most significant prevention technique is scheduling an attic inspection at least once a year, preferably in the spring or fall, to identify potential airflow or insulation issues. It’s critical that you have a professional verify that components within your roofing system (including your attic) are working.
We’ve seen issues ranging from bathroom fan vent kinks, insulation gaps, and lack of proper baffles in heavily insulated attics. The only way you can fix and prevent attic condensation is to ensure your system is working as intended, and that takes a professional.
While it’s easy to assume wind damage is higher in the stormy summer months, it’s actually worse in the winter because your trees don’t have leaves, which help shield the wind in late spring through summer.
These cold, biting, high winds aren’t just tough on humans—they’re tough on your roof, too. When wind hits the roof, it creates low pressure above and high pressure below, lifting your shingles, especially near the roof’s edges, corners, and ridges. Once wind gets under a gap, even if it’s small, it creates powerful suction that can peel back entire sections. If the shingles were installed incorrectly or the shingles’ adhesive strips have failed, they’re also more likely to get pulled off your roof during high winds.
Aside from high winds, snow and ice build-up, and fallen tree limbs cause shingle movement, granule loss, nail pops, and more.
In some cases, damaged sections of shingles can be replaced. However, if the damage is widespread and severe, a complete roof replacement may be necessary. Keep in mind that roof repairs are difficult to perform in the winter, although not impossible; damaged shingles may need to be covered to prevent further damage until the weather is more favorable. We always recommend getting replacements done in the spring, summer, and fall, and scheduling annual inspections before winter. However, if you do experience an emergency in the winter, repairs and replacements are still possible, it just takes more planning and coordination.
Hopefully, we don’t sound like a broken record, but the best way to prevent shingle damage is to catch issues early with a roof inspection. Outside of that, make sure you’re trimming tree branches away from your roof, removing dead trees near your property, and removing severe moss and/or algae growth.
While some tasks, such as cleaning the gutters and, in some cases, removing snow from the roof’s edges, can be handled by the homeowner, significant roof damage should always be handled by a professional. Don’t attempt to fix leaks, repair shingle damage, or address ventilation problems on your own, because just one misstep could make everything worse.
We know saving a buck is important, but DIY work can sometimes result in more money being spent over time because the job wasn’t done right.
Additionally, if you don’t know what the problem is but you suspect something is off, call a professional. It’s not worth waiting.
If you’re overdue for a roof inspection or need roof repairs, schedule a roof inspection with L&S Home Improvements today. We have over 75 years of combined industry experience providing roof repairs, replacements, gutter guard installations, and more to homeowners across southeast Michigan.
When you work with us, you can expect complete transparency every step of the way. We document our repair work through photographs and videos, which you’ll always have access to at no extra charge. We also ensure that any replacement shingles match the color of your existing shingles. If, for any reason, we are unable to provide an exact color match, we’ll let you know before we begin the repair job. Your satisfaction matters.
Don’t wait for your issues to worsen—we want you to have a warm, pleasant, and stress-free winter!
