Preparing Your Roof for Oregon’s Rainy Season

If you’ve lived in the Willamette Valley for more than a season, you know our rain isn’t a once-in-a-while event, it’s a months-long fact of life. Getting your roof ready before the wet season sets in is one of the simplest ways to avoid a stressful, expensive repair in the middle of a storm. Here’s what we recommend homeowners check each fall.

Clean out your gutters and downspouts. Clogged gutters send water pooling under the roofline and behind fascia boards. With so many fir and oak trees in this area, gutters can fill up fast, so plan to clear them at least twice before winter.

Trim overhanging branches. Branches that rub against shingles during windstorms wear down the roofing material, and falling limbs are one of the most common causes of storm damage we see in the Portland metro area and Willamette Valley.

Check and clear moss buildup. Moss holds moisture against shingles and shortens their lifespan. A gentle cleaning, done carefully to avoid damaging the shingles, goes a long way before the rains arrive.

Inspect flashing around chimneys and vents. Flashing is one of the most common places for leaks to start, since it’s where two different roofing surfaces meet. A quick visual check can catch a small gap before it becomes a drip in your attic.

Schedule a professional inspection. Some warning signs, like a soft spot in the decking or damaged underlayment, aren’t visible from the ground. An annual inspection before winter helps catch these issues while they’re still an easy fix.

A little maintenance now can save you from a much bigger headache in January. If you’d like a free, no-obligation roof inspection before the rain sets in, Fivecoat Roofing is happy to come take a look.