Most of the leak calls we get don't come in September. They come in late November through February, right when the atmospheric rivers start stacking up off the Pacific and dumping five inches of rain in 36 hours. By then it's too late to prep. The small stuff you could have caught in October has turned into water in the attic and a brown stain on the living room ceiling.
What to do now — and what can wait
| Task | Timing | Priority |
|---|---|---|
| Clear gutters and downspout elbows | Mid-October, then again late November | Do now |
| Walk perimeter, scan ridge and valleys for lifted flashing | October | Do now |
| Check attic for staining or soft spots | Any dry afternoon before December | Do now |
| Inspect valleys for debris dams | October | Do now |
| Moss treatment | Spring — needs dry weather to work | Wait |
| Cosmetic streaks and gutter appearance | Any time | Wait |
Start with the gutters
If you live under firs or cedars, once in early October isn't enough. Those needles keep dropping through November, and a clean gutter on Halloween can be half-packed by Thanksgiving. We tell homeowners with heavy tree cover to clear them twice — once in mid-October and again in late November. Pay attention to the downspouts too. A gutter that looks clean from the ladder can still be backed up at the elbow, and you won't know until water is sheeting over the edge during the first real storm.
Walk the perimeter and look up
You don't have to get on the roof. From the ground, scan the ridge line, the valleys where two slopes meet, and anywhere a pipe or vent pokes through. You're looking for anything that isn't lying flat. Lifted tabs, a ridge cap that's shifted, a bent piece of flashing at the chimney base. Those are the spots water is going to find first when the wind drives rain sideways. If something looks off, get a pro up there before the weather turns. Our roof inspection service is cheap insurance when you're not sure what you're looking at.
Check the valleys and flashing
Valleys take more water than any other part of the roof because both slopes funnel into them. Fir needles packed into a valley dam up and push water sideways under the shingles. Clean them out. While you're at it, look at the flashing around the chimney and skylights. Cracked caulk or a separation at the counter-flashing is one of the most common leak sources on older Seattle homes. It's a cheap fix in October, an expensive one in January.
What can't wait until spring
Anything with active water movement: a crack you can see daylight through, a flashing that's visibly separated, a soft spot in the deck, a gutter that overflows onto the fascia. Those get fixed now or they cost a lot more later. What can wait: moss treatment (needs dry weather, plan for spring), cosmetic stuff like streaking on the shingles or gutters that look ugly but still drain.
Inspect from the inside too
Grab a flashlight and go into the attic on a dry day. You're looking for three things: dark staining on the underside of the sheathing (old moisture), soft spots or sagging (active damage), and any pinpricks of daylight you can see near penetrations. If you find any of those, you've already got a problem that's only going to get worse once the rain comes.
Rather not deal with it yourself?
Our maintenance program folds the annual walk into a scheduled visit so you don't have to think about it. We also bundle a soft washing treatment with most plans come spring. One last thing — if a serious windstorm rolls through before you get to any of this, we wrote a companion piece on exactly that: what to check after a Puget Sound windstorm.
Questions or want us to take a look before the weather turns? Get in touch and we'll get on the schedule.