Home Improvement

Prepping Your Home for Rainy Season Without Losing Your Mind

posted by Chris Valentine

Ready to winterize your home BEFORE the rains come.

Seriously.

Homeowners across the country experience this same problem every year. The rains start falling. It’s enjoyable at first…until you notice that leak you ignored. Or that clogged gutter.

Oh boy.

You should have prepared BEFORE the rainy season started!

Let’s fix that now.

Table of contents

  • Why preparing your home for rainy season is important
  • Inspecting Your Roof BEFORE the Rains Come
  • Cleaning Your Gutters The RIGHT Way
  • 5 Easy Tasks To Complete Before It Storms
  • When To Bring In A Professional

Why preparing your home for rainy season is important

Before we get started, keep these stats in mind:

  • One out of every 67 insured homes has a water damage claim each year.
  • The average water damage insurance payout is $15,400 .

Yep. Water damage is serious stuff.

Think about how many people those stats apply to. MILLIONS of Americans deal with water damage every year.

Most of these problems can be avoided with basic homeowner maintenance. Water doesn’t suddenly cause damage to your home overnight…

Your roof slowly degrades over time.

Damaged shingles. Blocked gutters. Cracked flashing.

These are just a few ways water can get into your home.

Fix them BEFORE the rains come, and you’ll rest easy all season long.

Inspecting Your Roof BEFORE the Rains Come

Your roof takes the brunt of the damage during winter storms.

Don’t neglect it.

How often do you think about your roof on a daily basis? If you’re like most homeowners, the answer is probably NOT nearly enough. Trust me, I used to be the same way.

To avoid water damage, your roof needs a good once-over before the storms arrive.

If you live in the Pacific Northwest, finding the best roofing contractor in Tacoma can help spot potential problems before they start leaking all over your home.

Take a look at your roof and work towards identifying these common issues:

  • Missing or damaged shingles. Shingles are your roof’s first layer of protection against rain and water. If they’re missing or damaged, water can seep in.
  • Cracked or worn flashing. Found around chimneys, vents, and skylights. Faulty flashing leads to roof leaks.
  • Sagging areas. Could be signs of structural damage or water pooling.
  • Granule loss: If you’ve noticed small sand-like particles in your gutters, your shingles are wearing down.

The best time to address these issues is NOW. A small repair now can save you thousands in roof replacements later.

Don’t try to be a superhero. Get a professional up on that roof before the rains come. It’s never worth climbing around on a wet roof.

Cleaning Your Gutters The RIGHT way

This is something a lot of homeowners get wrong…

They assume their gutters work fine on their own. NOPE!

Clogged gutters are one of the leading causes of water damage to BOTH roofs AND foundations. When debris builds up in your gutters, water starts to pool. That water will run under your roof, down your siding, or pool around your foundation.

Needless to say, none of these outcomes are good.

Here’s my advice on gutter maintenance…

  • Clean your gutters twice a year. Spring and fall are ideal.
  • Flush your downspouts with your garden hose to ensure they’re clear.
  • Install gutter guards if you live in a wooded area.
  • Ensure downspouts direct water away from your home’s foundation. Aim for 3-4 feet away.

It won’t take long. An afternoon at most. Compare that to water damage repairs and you’ll understand why preventative maintenance is important.

5 Easy Tasks To Complete Before It Storms

Not all of these tasks require a contractor. In fact, most of them don’t.

There are plenty of things you can do RIGHT NOW to prepare your home for the upcoming storms. Let’s walk through a few:

Look for gaps around windows and doors. Caulking and sealant can wear away over time. This creates small gaps for rainwater to get inside. Grab a tube of exterior caulk and seal up any spots you find. It’s cheap and easy.

Inspect your siding. Over time siding can crack or become loose. Don’t allow water an easy entrance into your home.

Trim tree branches. Rain + wind = falling branches. Falling branches rubbing up against your roof can damage shingles and create gaps for rain to enter.

Test your sump pump. Got one? Make sure it’s working before failure occurs. Pour a bucket of water into the pit. Does it kick on? Great.

Clear drainage areas. Ensure the ground slopes away from your foundation. Water should always flow towards a drainage area, not towards your home.

Minor tasks like these can be completed in an afternoon.

They don’t take much time, but they can make a huge difference when trying to prevent water damage.

When To Bring In A Professional

Believe it or not, some of the above tasks are DIY-friendly. Others are not.

Here are a few signs you need to call in a roofing pro:

  • Multiple missing or damaged shingles.
  • Visible signs of sagging or other issues.
  • Water stains on walls or ceilings.
  • You can see daylight through your attic roof boards.
  • Your roof is over 20 years old.

According to This Old House just ONE inch of water can cause up to $25,000 in damage to an average American home. If your roof is leaking, that water can get inside and cause thousands of dollars of damage to your walls, ceilings and furnishings.

That’s why you need a professional roofing contractor to inspect your roof BEFORE the rains come.

Licensed roofers can spot things you may not notice. They have the tools and know-how to properly assess your roof’s condition. And they can do it quickly. Here’s what a proper inspection should include:

  • A thorough exterior inspection. Shingles, flashing, vents, the works.
  • Interior attic inspection. They should be looking for signs of leaks, moisture, or mould.
  • Gutters and drainage should be checked too.
  • A written assessment with next steps.

Yes, it costs money. But that’s less money than water damage restoration will cost you.

Wrap up

Getting your home ready for rainy season is easier than you think.

Simply start with the tips mentioned above. Inspect your roof. Clean your gutters. Caulk up any obvious holes around windows and doors.

Let’s recap once more…

  • Inspect your roof for damaged areas.
  • Clean gutters and verify water is draining properly.
  • Perform easy tasks around the house (caulking, trimming tree branches, etc.)
  • If you identify issues you can’t fix on your own, hire a professional.

The KEY is preventing water damage before it happens. Most homes experience water damage because homeowners waited too long to address small problems.

Take an afternoon this weekend and go outside. Walk around your home and pay attention to your roof. Inspect your gutters.

It’s always easier and cheaper to prevent water damage now than waiting until the leaks start coming inside your home.

Enjoy the rain!

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Many construction professionals approach roof access as simply a necessary evil; a metal door or hatch that gets the job done. However, there's a compromise to be had that an increasing number of architects and building designers are including in their plans: glazed hatches that function both as access and light sources. It's a concept no one truly invents but suggests to fun surprise for people who didn't think of it in the first place. It's a simple concept, really. Where there would ordinarily be a metal hatch to gain roof access, one with glazing is installed to allow natural light to pass through. In the right context, it solves two issues simultaneously: roof access compliance while also accounting for lighting challenges in interior spaces like stairwells, mechanical rooms, or top floor corridors that would otherwise be dark during daylight hours. When This Works There are plenty of buildings that don't warrant a glazed access. A warehouse open to many windows and overhead lighting won't benefit too much from a transparent hatch. Yet many commercial buildings struggle with lighting in certain conditions, and this is where the opportunity is realized. For example, interior stairwells are the most common use. Fire codes call for such spaces; however, they can easily be completely enclosed without any outside walls. This begs the necessity for artificial lighting 24/7. A glazed hatch at the top of the stairwell, however, changes the game significantly, allowing natural light to filter down during daytime hours, reducing energy costs and making the often sterile situation - people using stairs multiple times a day, much less institutional. In addition, penthouse mechanical rooms find similar challenges. HVA systems, elevator machinery and countless building systems are constantly on the roof and require regular inspections and repairs. These technicians benefit from additional lighting as do building managers wanting to control electricity bills from keeping lights on in these spaces. Even high-end residential builds utilize this layout option too, although strictly from an aesthetic perspective where roof deck access is adjacent to the common areas of those top floors. Yet, practical benefits still reign concerning lighting. Where This Becomes Complicated But where this becomes less simple than logical construction professionals might assume is from an engineering perspective; a roof hatch skylight needs to act like any regular access hatch functionally as well as independently concerning weatherproofing, structural loads and thermal performance. For example, weight becomes an immediate factor of concern. Glass is significantly heavier than insulated metal. This impacts both how the hatch itself opens and closes in addition to the structural support needed underneath it. The hardware utilized to open and close needs to be rated for the additional load. Additionally, single panel designs allow for better control than multi-panel ones but sacrifice some freedom of shape and opening width. Thermal performance needs assessed in detail. Glass does not thermally perform the same as insulated metal. The perimeters sealing the glazed panels need to be inspected for water infiltration and thermal bridging. Low-e coatings aid in energy efficiency to cut costs but add expense with specialized maintenance measures as well. In addition, climates that face extreme temperature differentials warrant condensation concern; a staircase shouldn't be doused with dripping water when folks are trying to get to work on a chilly morning. There's also no negotiation for safety glazing. With impacts, snow loads and even dropped tools occurring during inspections, these hatches need tempered or laminated glass that can withstand outside forces; some locations require certain ratings depending on where these buildings are located and what their occupancy is rated for. Additionally, UV protection is necessary to prevent seal deterioration. What's Unexpected About Maintenance Reality sets in with maintenance expectations that otherwise have not been contended with regarding solid hatches. A glazed hatch will need cleaning on both sides. Exposed glass inevitably faces dirt, bird droppings and even minerals left over from rainwater. An urban public building faces additional air pollution. Therefore, after a while, that transparency that makes these hatches useful becomes less so, and project owners seldom think about this beforehand. They think about installation costs versus immediate benefits and don't factor in safe means of accessing the interior side to polish up what needs cleaned on the exterior, someone has to go up onto the roof while someone has to be on the stairwell (depending on its layout) to clean up what's accumulated. Seal inspections are increasingly necessary with these designs. Water infiltration around glass shows faster than around metal hatch openings, and this is beneficial in some ways because it identifies problems early; however, it causes increased frequency of inspections and possibly maintenance work across the hatch's lifespan. Furthermore, lubrication is necessary at adjustment hardware levels. The extra weight associated with a glazed hatch exerts increased stress on hinges, gas struts and latching mechanisms. They wear down faster than lighter metal options and necessitate more attention for smooth operation. The Money Question Glazed hatches cost more than a standard metal one. This is hardly shocking but the actual price difference shocks many customers implementing this option down the line. Depending on size and specs, budget 40-60% more for a comparable glazed unit, and custom sizes and extreme performance characteristics increase that number even further. This initial investment must make sense based upon energy savings associated with decreased artificial lighting; in spaces where nothing but lights would be expected to run for 12-14 hours in one single breath, glazed hatches create a reasonable payback period, typically 5-8 years for commercial applications with higher payback periods set in higher cost energy markets. However, energy savings fail to quantify reality. Aesthetic value comes into play across certain building types, naturally lit stairwells leading up and down through Class A Office buildings or luxurious towers turn up quality of life factors that don't directly impact utility bills for tenant satisfaction but warrant increased lease payments. When Standard Metal Makes Sense Conversely, there are many situations that do not warrant any sort of glazed hatch at all; industrialized facilities operating 24/7 operate lights all the time, even during daylight hours, so natural light means little. Buildings over extremely harsh climates find aesthetic appeal trumped by increased maintenance costs that nullify energy savings ability altogether. In addition, security concerns plummet any possibility of transparent roofs for appropriate access. Finally, and probably most understandably, budgetary concerns trump everything. Not every project can afford such choices; a solidly designed standard hatch could get its job done just fine if maintained effectively over time. It's better to have the right tool for the job specific to its needs than attempt to trend its designs when functionality is paramount. Making it Work For situations where glazed hatches make sense, getting all the details during planning phase prevents pitfalls later; involving the architect and structural engineer along with building management early on provides multiple perspectives into how this design will function over time. Specification matters more with glazed units than standard hatches; generic specs that are fine for metal hatches fail on critical performance requirements for glass installations. Thermal ratings, glass makeup, hardware capabilities and maintenance accesses need specific emphasis in project documentation. An installation team experienced with these products is also non-negotiable; a team that constantly installs metal hatches may lack the requisite glazing installation and waterproofing experience; showing issues quickly, which manifest as condensation or leaking, doesn't give anyone confidence in who put it together if it was cavalier about its potential problems in the first place. Yet when all these players come together effectively, glazed roof hatches provide exactly what they set out to: functional access providing natural light to spaces that would benefit most from it when they necessarily have to be there anyway. It all comes down to whether or not it's appropriate as sounding good on paper isn't enough if it's not going to serve an actual purpose instead.

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