A Storm Season Checklist for a Roof in San Jose

Why check before the wet season rather than during it?

A check before the rain finds a fault while the weather still allows a proper repair. A fault found during a storm is harder to repair and more likely to cause damage inside.

The time between the first sign of a fault and the next heavy rain is the time the owner has to act. A blocked outlet can be cleared in minutes, and a lifted flashing can be re-sealed in a dry afternoon. The same faults during a storm may need a tarp and a longer repair.

The check is also a record. The photographs taken before the rain show the roof's condition at the start of the season, so any change after the storm is easy to see.

What can a homeowner check from the ground?

From the ground, the outlets, the downspouts and the gutter run can be checked, along with the flashing at each vent and chimney and the valleys visible from the edge.

Clear the outlets of leaves and grit, and check that each downspout discharges clear of the foundation. A splash block or a short extension is often the simplest fix for a discharge that lands at the wall.

Look for sagging gutter runs and brackets that have pulled away. A run that holds a pool at a dip will overflow in the first heavy rain, so note it and book the repair before the storm.

• Clear every outlet and check the discharge
• Look for sags and holes in the gutter run
• Check that the splash block or extension carries water away from the wall
• Look for lifted metal at the vents and chimney from the ground

What belongs in the attic check?

The attic check looks for wet or stained wood, rust on nails and the dark line of a valley. It is done from the hatch on a dry day, with a torch, and nothing is moved or cut.

Look at the sheathing above each valley and vent, and at the rafters near the eaves. A board darker than its neighbors, a patch with a white bloom or a nail with rust around its head is a sign that water has reached the structure.

Photograph each mark from the same spot. A new mark after the next rain is then easy to identify, and it shows where the water came in.

When should a technician be called?

Call when a fault is found that water could reach, such as a lifted flashing, a cracked valley or a stain in the attic. Call also when the owner is not sure what a mark means.

The technician reads the fault and decides whether it needs a repair before the storm or a temporary cover. A fault not reached before the rain may need a tarp fixed to the structure, and a crew can fit it the same day if one is free.

The owner should not climb onto the roof to do the work. A steep roof, a wet covering and a ladder on uneven ground are the commonest causes of a serious fall.

What should be ready for the storm itself?

The outlets should be clear, the technician's number written down, a container and a means of fixing a tarp to hand, and the valuables moved away from the ceilings most at risk.

A container for the drip beneath the most likely leak is a simple precaution. Move furniture and valuables from under the stain, and switch off the light at the wall if the stain is near a fitting.

After the rain, walk the outside and the ceilings again and record anything new. The record is the start of the next season's check.

What does the first long storm of the season show?

The first long storm of the season shows the faults that a dry autumn hid. Its soaking rain finds the joints, the valleys and the outlets that were marginal, and it shows the weak points in the order they fail.

The owner watches the outlets and the valleys during the storm, if it is safe to do so from the ground, and notes where water runs over, where it pools and where it finds a route to the wall. Those observations are the most useful record for the technician after the storm.

After the storm, the attic is read on the next dry morning. A new mark, a wet board or a dark line along a rafter is a sign of the route the water took, and it is photographed before any change is made.

How is the check repeated across the season?

The check is repeated after each long storm and at the start and end of the wet season. The same list, in the same order, from the same spots, makes each check comparable with the last.

The list is kept with the file and marked with the date of each check. A repair made after a check is noted against the fault it addressed, so the owner can see which faults have been dealt with and which remain open.

A routine repeated each year builds a picture of the roof over time. The owner can see which outlets clog first, which valley fills in the same storm and which flashing lifts after the same kind of rain.

What does a technician need from the owner's list?

A technician needs the list, the photographs, the dates of the storms and any repair already made. With those the technician can start the trace or the repair from the right place.

The list tells the technician where the owner has already looked, so the visit does not repeat the same checks. The photographs show the state before any work, and the dates link the faults to the storms that tested them.

A short note of the first sign of each leak, with the room and the time, is the most useful single item. It lets the technician start in the room where the water was first seen rather than at the roof's edge.

How is a check made safely on a wet season day?

A check made on a wet season day is made from the ground and the access hatch only. The roof is not walked when it is wet, and the attic is read from the hatch with a torch.

A wet covering is slippery, and a fall from a valley roof is serious. The owner who is unsure whether the roof is safe waits for a dry spell or calls a technician for the look.

The attic on a wet day is read for the wet that is coming through the boards, which is useful information in its own right. The mark is photographed and noted with the time and the weather.

Who in the household should know the plan?

Everyone who uses the house should know the plan: where the container is kept, which switch to turn off, and who to call. A short written copy on the wall of the hall or the garage makes the plan usable in a hurry.

A household member who is out when the storm arrives should be able to act on the plan from a phone. The number, the address and the room of the last leak are written at the top of the sheet.

The plan is reviewed each autumn, when the list is updated with any repair made and any new fault found. The updated sheet replaces the old one in the same place.

What if a neighbor's roof affects this one?

A neighbor's roof can send water or debris onto this one, especially across a shared valley or along a common fence line. The owner notes where the neighbor's water lands and raises it with the neighbor in writing before the storm.

A downspout on the neighbor's side that discharges at the boundary can soak the owner's foundation. A debris pile on the shared line can block the owner's outlet. Both are recorded with photographs and the date.

A calm, written request to the neighbor, with the photographs attached, is the simplest route. A technician can advise on the fix, and the owner keeps the correspondence in the file.