September 17, 2026
Autumn does most of the damage that winter gets blamed for. Leaves drop, rain arrives in earnest, and the first hard frost gets to work on anything already loose, cracked or blocked. A tile that has been sitting slightly out of place since summer becomes a leak once water starts backing up behind it. An afternoon spent on the roof now is an afternoon you won't spend chasing a damp patch in January.
The good news is that most of this checklist can be done from the ground, from a ladder on firm level ground with someone footing it, or from inside the loft. Anything that means walking on the roof covering itself is a job for a roofer with proper access equipment. Work at height is the one part of home maintenance where a shortcut is never worth it.
1. Clear the gutters and downpipes
This is the single most useful job of the season. A blocked gutter doesn't just overflow onto the fascia — it sends water down the wall, into the eaves and behind the render, where it finds its way inside.
Work in short sections rather than trying to do the whole run at once. A gutter scoop or an old trowel, a bucket hooked over the ladder, thick gloves and a stiff hand brush will see you through. Once the worst of the leaves and grit is out, flush the run with a hosepipe and watch what happens. Water should move steadily towards the outlet. If it sits in a puddle, the brackets have dropped or the fall has gone; if it backs up at a hopper, the downpipe is blocked and may need rodding or a hose fed from below.
While the water is running, look at the joints and corners for drips, and check the downpipe outlets at ground level. A surprising number of "roof leaks" turn out to be a blocked gully or soakaway throwing water back up under the eaves. Fit gutter guards if leaves are an annual battle, but only after the gutters are genuinely clean.
Two cautions. Never overreach from a ladder — move it instead. And if your gutters look like older grey asbestos cement, don't break or cut them; leave them alone and take advice before replacing.
2. Inspect the roof covering from the ground
Pick a dry, bright day and walk right around the house. Low autumn sun is useful here: it throws shadows that reveal dips, lifted edges and missing tiles that look fine in flat light. Binoculars or a phone camera with a decent zoom will get you close enough without leaving the ground.
Things worth photographing and keeping an eye on:
- Tiles or slates that have slipped, cracked, or gone missing entirely
- Ridge and hip tiles sitting proud, with crumbling mortar beneath them
- Rust streaks, or fixings showing through the covering
- Moss sitting in a thick mat along a run of tiles or in a valley
- Flashing that has lifted, split or pulled away from a chimney
- Sagging along the eaves or ridge line, which never signals anything good
- Any hint of daylight or damp seen from inside the loft
3. Check flashing, seals and anything that pokes through
Water rarely gets in through the middle of a roof. It gets in at the edges, the joints and the penetrations, which is why flashing deserves a proper look. Around a chimney, check the step flashing up the sides, the apron at the front and the fillet of mortar where lead meets brick. Freeze-thaw cycles open up small cracks in that mortar, and each one lets a little more water in.
Valleys — the channels where two roof slopes meet — collect everything the wind brings and are a favourite spot for leaks once debris builds up. Look too at soil pipes, vents, aerial brackets and solar panel mounts. Sealant around fixings hardens and splits over time, and a bead of fresh mastic on a sound fixing can buy you years. If lead has genuinely split or been pulled out of shape, though, patch-and-hope isn't the answer; it needs dressing or replacing properly.
4. Deal with moss and debris — gently
Moss holds water against the covering, lifts tile edges and gradually fills the gaps it finds. Scrape it back with a plastic scraper rather than a metal one, working from a ladder or from the roof edge with proper access, and clear the debris out of valleys and from behind chimney stacks.
Avoid pressure washing roof tiles and slates. It strips the surface, drives water underneath and shortens the life of the covering. If moss keeps returning, a suitable biocide applied to the manufacturer's instructions will slow it down — keep it off plants and paving, and never mix products. On flat roofs over garages, porches and extensions, sweep leaves away and check the outlets and gravel guards are clear before the rain settles in.
5. Spend ten minutes in the loft
Go up after a windy, wet spell, with a torch and no particular rush. Look along the rafters and the underside of the roof felt or sarking for dark water stains, and check whether insulation has gone damp or saggy. If you can see daylight, you've found a gap. Watermarks that spread downwards in a line usually point to a leak above; a general fuzz of damp in cold weather is more often condensation, especially near bathrooms and kitchens.
While you're up there, make sure insulation isn't pushed right into the eaves and blocking ventilation, and that any ventilation trays are clear. A roof that can't breathe will cause problems that look exactly like leaks and are just as annoying to track down.
6. Secure the outside before the first storm
Roofs rarely fail on a still day. Before the autumn gales arrive, cut back branches that overhang or touch the roof, check that aerials and satellite dishes are firmly fixed, and put away anything in the garden that could be lifted and thrown against the house. Flat roofs on garages and sheds deserve a look too: blisters, splits at the upstands and water still standing a day after rain all mean the covering is nearing the end of its life.
Book any repairs now rather than in December. Roofers are at their busiest after the first named storm, and a small job is much easier to fit in during a quiet October than in a queue of emergency call-outs.
When to call in a professional
Clearing gutters from a ladder, sweeping a flat roof, cutting back branches and checking the loft are all reasonable DIY jobs for a careful pair of hands. Everything else — replacing tiles, repointing a chimney stack, working with lead, fixing a flat roof, anything requiring a ladder above the first floor or access onto the covering — belongs with a qualified roofer who has the right equipment and insurance.
If water is already getting in, get it looked at rather than waiting for spring. Ask for two or three quotes, confirm whether scaffolding and waste removal are included, and check your home insurance policy for storm damage cover and the excess before you need it. Tenants should speak to their landlord; leasehold and shared buildings usually sit with the freeholder or managing agent.
Do the straightforward jobs on a dry weekend in October, and the winter will be a lot quieter. If you're unsure about anything you find up there, take a photo and ask a roofing professional — a second opinion costs far less than a ceiling.
Photo: Los Muertos Crew / Pexels
