This winter was a tough one! Temperatures were cold, the snow really fell. Actually, that's almost every winter, but your roof never really gets used to it. Now that spring is approaching, it's important to evaluate your roof for signs to see if this year's brutal winter weather caused some damage. If you notice any of these issues, you should call a residential roofing contractor for repairs.

Lifted Shingles

Look across the roof. All of the shingles should lie flush to the roof's surface. If the edges of some of the shingles appear to be raised, this is a problem. Water can work its way under the edges of the shingles, and when it freezes, it expands, prying that edge of the shingle off the roof's surface. If you ignore this problem, you may end up with leaks and missing shingles. A roof repair company can come tack down the lifted edges of the shingles before the issue gets any worse.

Bent Gutters

Especially if you did not clean your gutters well before winter arrived, water may have pooled in them and frozen. As mentioned above, water expands when it freezes, which can cause it to warp and distort your gutters. If you do not have the warped gutters fixed, they will continue not to drain well, which means your roof will stay wetter than it should. Depending on the extent of the damage, a roofing company will either bend the gutters back into place or replace them entirely. 

Moisture in the Attic

Walk up into your attic, and check to see if there are any signs of moisture. Your insulation might feel moist, or you might see spots of mold on the floor joists. These leaks occur when snow melts, so they kind of trickle in and can go unnoticed, unlike the larger leaks that sometimes occur during a rainstorm. Your roofing contractor can find the source of the leak and make repairs. Often, leaks in the spring are due to flashing that has been lifted by the winter weather, or lifted shingles, as described above. You may also need to have some of your insulation replaced if it got wet — most roofing companies can do this for you, too.

Winter can be tough on roofs, but if you take the time to look for issues in the spring, you can catch and take care of them before they become a big deal.