The different seasons take their toll on your roof, which is why it is good for you to know how to take care of your roof throughout the seasons. You may think that you only need to maintain your roof once per year, but if you really want to get the most out of it, then you may want to rethink that.

There are certain care tips that you can use all year round to make sure your roof lasts as long as you paid for it to last.

In Twin Cities, the seasons are quite defined. When it is winter, you know it is winter. Here are some tips for each of the seasons:

• You will first want to contact a Twin Cities roof inspector and have them inspect your roof in the late spring and/or the fall. The reason is because the winter can wreak havoc and the weather usually doesn’t start to warm up until later spring. The fall is a good time to inspect because the summer is quite aggressive on a roof and the harm that the summer can inflict is over by the fall. You can then prepare for the winter, just as a spring inspection allows you to prepare for the summer.
• Make sure during the spring and the summer that you frequently clean your downspouts and your gutters to ensure they are flowing freely.
• If your roof is over 10 years old, you can stand on the ground during a wind storm and see if there is any lift to your shingles. This is best to do during the spring and summer due to the increase in wind storms. If there is any lift, this means the adhesive strip on the shingles are not doing their job.
• If you have moss on your roof in the spring and summer, you can sweep it off when it is wet or use a moss killer.
• Also in the summer, you will want to have your roof checked after hail and wind storms to ensure no damage was done and to take care of any damage as soon as possible.
• In the fall, you want to look for any cracking after a summer of the sun hitting your roofing full force. You’ve probably experienced Twin Cities hail storms and wind storms as well, so shingles with mineral granules missing, as well as shingles showing any kind of damage should be replaced.
• You will want to frequently remove leaves and other debris from your gutters and downspouts. You may find that you do this more often in the fall because of the leaves falling from the trees.
• Check skylights, vents, and any other hardware on your roof to ensure they are not cracked or broken. You can also have a Twin Cities roofing company take care of this for you so that you don’t have to.
• In the winter, watch out for ice dams along your eaves, gutters, and your drains. If melting snow and ice can’t drain, it will find the easiest way out, which can be faulty areas on your roof.
• When snow storms come with wind, make sure there is no shingle uplift after the snow melts.

And whatever you do, do not pressure wash your roof or try shoveling snow off of your roof because this can cause more damage than good. Any time you need assistance with cleaning or removing snow, talk to a Twin Cities roofer so the right steps can be taken.