On the prairies, the roof does its hardest work in the months you are least likely to be looking at it. A little attention in the fall, while the weather still lets you, is what keeps a small problem from turning into a winter leak.

W Contracting Roofing is a Saskatoon roofing company, and freeze-up is what the prep below is aimed at.

None of this takes long, and most of it you can do from the ground or the attic. Here is the short list we would run through on our own homes before the snow settles in for the season.

1. Clear the eavestroughs and downspouts

Leaves and grit left in the eavestroughs over winter give meltwater nowhere to drain, so it sits at the edge of the roof and freezes. That frozen edge is where ice dams start. Clear the troughs and make sure the downspouts run water well away from the house before the first hard freeze. If the eavestroughs, soffit and fascia are sagging or pulling loose, they will not do their job no matter how clean they are, and that is worth fixing now.

2. Look over the shingles from the ground

Walk the yard and look up. Missing, cracked or curling shingles leave the layer underneath open to wind-driven snow, and one lifted shingle in September is an easy fix compared to what the same gap lets in by March. Piles of the sand-like granules at the bottom of a downspout are another sign the shingles are wearing thin. Our guide to the signs a roof needs repair before winter covers what to look for in more detail.

3. Check the flashing around chimneys and vents

Most leaks do not start out in the open field of shingles. They start where two surfaces meet: the flashing around a chimney, a vent stack or a skylight. Flashing that has cracked, lifted or lost its sealant is a common winter leak point, and caught in the fall it is usually a small roof repair rather than a big one.

4. Get into the attic

The attic tells you as much about a winter roof as the shingles do. On a bright day, a pinhole of daylight means a matching hole in the roof. Damp insulation or frost on the underside of the sheathing points to warm air escaping from the house, which is the same heat loss that melts snow unevenly and builds ice dams. If the insulation is thin or the venting looks blocked, that is worth sorting before the cold sets in. There is more on how that chain works in our guide to preventing ice dams.

5. Trim branches back from the roof

Branches that hang over or brush against the roof drop debris into the valleys, scuff the shingles in the wind, and load the roof with extra snow when they bend under it. A hard prairie storm can bring a limb down entirely. Cutting them back before winter is cheap insurance for the roof and the eavestroughs both.

6. Deal with any hail or storm damage now

If a summer storm came through, do not let the damage ride into winter. Bruised or bald shingles from hail hold up far worse once the freezing starts, and the first cold snap can turn a minor bruise into an open leak. If you are not sure whether a storm did anything, our guide on what to do after a hail storm and the storm and hail damage restoration page walk through the next steps and how a claim fits in.

7. Book an inspection before the snow

If you would rather have someone go over it properly, a free inspection is the surest way to head into winter knowing where you stand. We check the roof, show you photos of anything we find, and give you a straight answer on whether it needs a repair now, can wait, or is heading toward a roof replacement. If a replacement is the right call but the weather has turned, we can weatherproof the roof to get it safely through to spring.

Winter roof questions from Saskatoon homeowners

When should I get my roof ready for winter?
Early fall, while the weather still lets you work outside safely and before the first lasting snow. In Saskatoon that usually means September and October. Getting it done before the ground freezes means any repair the roof needs can still be booked in decent conditions rather than in a January cold snap.
Can I check my own roof for winter?
You can do a lot from the ground and the attic. Use binoculars to look for missing, curling or lifted shingles, check the eavestroughs for granules and debris, and go into the attic with a flashlight to look for daylight, damp or frost. Stay off a steep or wet roof, which is where a free inspection is both safer and more thorough.
Is it too late to repair a roof once it is cold?
Usually not. We can do most repairs into the fall and early winter as long as conditions are safe. If a full replacement has to wait until spring, we can weatherproof the roof to get it through the season so a known problem does not become a leak in the meantime. The sooner we look, the more options you have.
How do clean eavestroughs help in winter?
Clear eavestroughs and downspouts give meltwater somewhere to drain instead of sitting and freezing at the edge of the roof. That is exactly the buildup that feeds ice dams, so clearing them in the fall is one of the simplest things that keeps water from backing up under the shingles over winter.
Do you charge for a roof inspection?
No. Our inspections are free and come with no obligation. We check the roof, document what we find with photos and video, and give you a straight answer on whether it needs a repair, can wait, or is heading toward replacement. We are based in Saskatoon and answer the phone Monday to Saturday, 8 to 6.