Utah roofs
A Utah Roof Maintenance Checklist: What to Check Yourself and What to Leave to a Pro
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Fall gives Utah roofs a little breathing room. Summer storm season is winding down, the leaves are coming off, and there’s still time before snow settles in from Logan and Ogden to Bountiful, Salt Lake City, Sandy, and Provo. It’s a good time to look over your roof on purpose, not just after something goes wrong.
This is the routine The NuRoof Guys recommend to homeowners: what you can safely check yourself, what to hand off to a pro, and how to spread roof care across a Utah year.
Why routine care matters more on a Utah roof
Strong sun at elevation and dry air slowly bake the oils out of asphalt shingles. Freeze-thaw cycles across Cache, Weber, Davis, and Summit counties work on every small crack and loose seal. Snow and ice sit at the eaves, summer hail and canyon wind can bruise or lift shingles in an afternoon, and in St. George and Washington County the heat never really lets up. Our guide on why Utah asphalt roofs age faster explains the wear in detail.
Most of that damage starts small, and a routine catches it early.
Your ground-level checklist
Do all of this from the yard, a window, or the attic. You don’t need to climb onto the roof, and you shouldn’t. A pair of binoculars and a phone camera are enough.
The shingles
- Missing, lifted, cracked, or curled shingles, and any slope that looks patchy or darker than the rest
- Moss or dark streaks, usually on shaded north-facing slopes and under trees
The edges and valleys
- Roof edges and fascia: sagging, peeling paint, or water stains on the trim
- Valleys, where two slopes meet: piles of leaves, pine needles, or debris that slow drainage
Things that poke through the roof
- Pipe boots, exhaust vents, chimneys, and skylights: anything tilted, cracked, or pulling away
Gutters and downspouts
- Gutters pulling away from the house or sagging between hangers
- Shingle granules collecting at downspout outlets, a sign the shingles are shedding their protective surface
- Downspouts that dump water right at the foundation
Trees
- Branches touching or hanging over the roof. In wind they scrape, and in heavy snow they can break and fall.
Inside the house
- In the attic, with a flashlight on a bright day (step only on the framing, never on insulation between the joists): stained or dark wood overhead, damp insulation, daylight where it shouldn’t be, and vents blocked by insulation
- Bathroom and kitchen fans that should vent outside but end up blowing into the attic
- Ceiling stains on the top floor, especially near chimneys, skylights, and outside walls
Two Utah-specific items
Evaporative coolers. Plenty of older Wasatch Front homes still have a swamp cooler on the roof. Its water line, pan, and the curb it sits on can leak into the roof over time. Have it drained and winterized, and have the roof around it checked.
Holiday lights. Nails, screws, and staples driven through shingles leave holes that let water in. Use clips that hook onto gutters or shingle edges without piercing anything.
What to leave to a pro
Some roof care shouldn’t be a weekend project. Hand these to The NuRoof Guys or another licensed roofer:
- Walking the roof, especially when it’s steep, wet, frosty, or two stories up
- Lifting shingles to check how they’re sealed or whether they’ve turned brittle
- Replacing pipe boots, resealing flashing, or fixing popped nails
- Moss removal with chemicals, which can harm shingles and landscaping if it’s done wrong
- Any pressure washing. A pressure washer can strip granules off asphalt shingles, so don’t point one at your roof.
- Inspecting for hail or wind damage after a storm
A seasonal rhythm for Utah roofs
Spring. After the snow melts, look for what winter left behind: water stains in the attic, gutters bent by sliding snow, and lifted shingles at the eaves.
Summer. After hail or a big wind event, look from the ground and take photos. Our post on the September hail in Layton and Kaysville shows what that damage can look like.
Fall. Run the full checklist above once the leaves are down. Have the gutters cleared and the valleys checked for debris, have overhanging branches trimmed back, get the swamp cooler winterized, and schedule a professional roof inspection before the first lasting snow.
Winter. Watch from inside. Note big icicles or ice ridges at the eaves, and snow that melts in patches on one part of the roof but not another, which can point to attic heat escaping. For storm-specific prep, see our heavy rain and wind guide.
Keep a simple roof file
Each time you run the checklist, take dated photos of every slope you can see and save receipts for roof work. That record can help in an insurance conversation, though it doesn’t guarantee how a claim or renewal will go. Our Utah homeowners insurance roof checklist covers what else to keep.
Repair · Restore · Replace
Maintenance tells you when something needs attention. An inspection by The NuRoof Guys tells you which kind:
- Repair fixes the specific spot: a split pipe boot, flashing that’s lifted at a chimney, a handful of creased or missing shingles.
- Restore means GoNano roof restoration and rejuvenation on asphalt shingles that are weathered and dry but structurally sound, done after any repairs.
- Replace is the answer when the shingles are worn out across the roof or the damage is too widespread to patch.
GoNano’s own roof maintenance guide presents its treatment as one step in year-round roof care and lists benefits it attributes to the product. Those are the manufacturer’s claims. Our view is simpler: rejuvenation is not right for every roof. Brittle shingles, heavy granule loss, active leaks, or unrepaired storm damage call for roof repair or roof replacement first. Our post on roof sealing vs. rejuvenation explains the difference.
Frequently asked questions
How often should a Utah roof be inspected? A common rhythm is a professional inspection once a year, often in fall, plus one after major hail or wind.
Can I pressure wash my roof? No. High pressure can strip granules from asphalt shingles.
Is it safe to clean my own gutters? On a single-story home, many homeowners clean gutters from a steady ladder with a helper holding it. Work from the ladder and never step onto the roof. On a two-story home, or if you’re not comfortable on a ladder, hire it out.
Does roof maintenance affect my homeowners insurance? It can help you document your roof’s condition, but policies differ and nobody can promise how a carrier will respond. Ask your agent.
Is GoNano rejuvenation part of routine maintenance? It can be for an aging but sound asphalt roof. It isn’t a repair, and it isn’t right for every roof. An inspection decides that.
Get a free roof inspection
If your checklist turned up something you’re not sure about, or you’d like a professional set of eyes before snow, The NuRoof Guys will come look. We serve homeowners statewide, with a focus on Northern Utah and the Wasatch Front, and you’ll get photos plus a straight recommendation: roof repair, GoNano roof restoration, roof replacement, or nothing at all yet.
Licensed Utah contractor #14225732-5501. Authorized GoNano installer.
Call 385-383-8479 · Email info@nuroofutah.com · Schedule a free roof inspection
Sources and further reading
- GoNano: The Importance of Regular Roof Maintenance: Tips for Homeowners (listed as “A Guide to Maintaining Different Surfaces: Roofs, Concrete and Wood,” Nov. 27, 2023)
- The NuRoof Guys: Why Northern Utah Asphalt Roofs Age Faster Than Homeowners Expect