Your roof needs to be inspected by a professional at least once a year. But in between those professional roof services, you can also prevent damage by evaluating your roof on your own.

Conducting a roof inspection is easy, safe, and only takes a few minutes out of your day. If you follow these steps once a month or so, you’ll never miss signs of potentially serious damage.

1: Inspect your roof from the ground

The first step is to take a look at your roof from every angle.

You don’t need to climb a ladder to do this. Just grab a pair of binoculars and walk around your house. Check for moss growth, slipping or cracked shingles, corrosion spots (on a metal roof), or anything else that seems out of place.

Take a note of everything you see, and call a residential roofing specialist if you can’t repair the issue on your own.

2: Inspect your gutters

Functioning rain gutters are crucial to the preservation of every roof. After inspecting the top of your roof, take a look at your gutters. Then, run a hose through them to make sure they’re working.

If your gutters rusted, falling off, or leaking, you should have a residential or commercial roofing company replace them for you.

Replacing your rain gutters is quick and affordable, and will save you from much more costly water damage later on.

3: Inspect your ceilings

Low points, water stains, or mold growth on your ceiling are all signs that your roof has internal water damage.

If you notice any of those issues inside your home, call a roofer right away. Water damage can spread over time, and could eventually cause your roof to sag or collapse.

That’s it! Those three steps can be done in 10 minutes, and you’ll have the peace of mind that you aren’t missing any serious damage to your roof.