Preparing Your Roof for Winter: A Pre-Storm Checklist
The roof takes the worst of a Lower Mainland winter: months of relentless rain, the occasional freeze-thaw, and wind-driven storms. Anything neglected up there gets tested hard, and small problems become leaks at the least convenient time. A little preparation before the wet season sets in is cheap insurance. Here is a pre-storm checklist.
Clear the moss and debris
Heading into winter, thick moss is the thing to deal with, since it holds water against the roof and lifts shingle edges just as the heaviest rain arrives. Clearing and treating it before the wet season means it is not trapping moisture and prying at the shingles all winter. Debris in the valleys and around vents should be cleared too, so water runs off freely rather than backing up.
A roof going into winter clean and clear is far less likely to develop a problem than one carrying a season's growth into the freeze-thaw months.
The pre-winter roof checklist
Work through these before the storms set in:
- Soft wash or clear thick moss so it is not holding water against the shingles
- Clear debris from valleys, around vents, pipe boots and skylights so water drains
- Clean and flush the gutters so roof runoff actually gets away
- Check that downspouts carry water well clear of the foundation
- Trim back overhanging branches that drop debris and shade the roof
Why timing matters
The point of doing this in fall, before the steady rain, is that you are preventing winter damage rather than discovering it in spring. A mossy roof and clogged gutters going into winter are the setup for lifted shingles, trapped moisture and overflow; the same roof cleared and draining copes with the season fine.
It also avoids doing rooftop work in the worst conditions. Getting the roof sorted in the fall window, ideally alongside the gutters, is the efficient, safe way to be ready. A few photos are enough for an assessment and a quote.