The Ground-Level Roof Walkaround

Walk all four sides

Start at your front door and walk clockwise around the house. Stop at each side. Look up. Look down. Don't rush.

• 1. Shingles or shingle pieces in the yard. They came from your roof.
• 2. Bare patches when you look up. Anywhere it's a different color (usually darker) is where the protective layer is gone.
• 3. Black sandy grit in the gutters or at the bottom of downspouts. A lot of it on an older roof means the shingles are at end of life.
• 4. Bent, missing, or rusty metal. Around the chimney, in the valleys where two slopes meet, and around vents and pipes.
• 5. Dips, waves, or sagging along the ridge (the top line). That's a structural issue, not a shingle issue.
• 6. Inside the house. Brown or yellow rings on ceilings, bubbled paint, or a musty smell in an upstairs closet. The leak is rarely where you see the stain.

After you finish

• Anything checked? Take the Photos to Take checklist with you on a second lap.
• Active water inside? Move what's underneath, channel the drip into a container, and call a roofer today. Don't try to tarp it yourself.
• Nothing obvious? Good. Run Storm Check at ncroofingservice.com/storm-check to see if any recent storm actually hit your address.