The idea

Prevent
and protect.

Most winter leaks start small. A clogged gutter. A downspout kicked into the flowers in August.

A strong El Niño is forecast this winter. See our storm prep guide.

Join the maintenance program

On the list

  • French drainFall

    Autumn leaves caught around a metal drain grate

  • GuttersFall

    Water dripping from the end of a white gutter

  • VentsFall

    A louvered vent in gray lap siding

  • Roof edgeIn the rain

    Rain running off a dark roof edge at dusk

The fall list

Before winter, while it’s dry

List no.
01
Season
Fall
When
Before the first storm

ThemeSix checks, while the wood is dry.

A white Victorian house with two gables, bay windows, a slate blue roof and steps up to the porch
  1. Gutters Clean them. Flush every downspout.
  2. Bare wood Touch up the south and west sides first. Why west walls fail first
  3. Plants Off the siding. Branches off the roof.
  4. Caulk Reseal open joints at windows, doors and trim.
  5. Vents Clear torn or blocked screens.
  6. Roof From the ground, with binoculars: lifted shingles, loose flashing.
Rain running off a tiled roof into a white gutter

The first big storm is the test.

During the rain.

Go out in it. Where does the water leave the roof? Where does it pool?

  • Rain pouring from the end of a gutter

    The roof edge. Where does the water land?

  • Rain streaming down a window at night

    Under the windows. Any new stains?

  • A work light on a stand lighting a dark attic

    The attic, after heavy rain. Bring a flashlight. Look for drips.

Spring, after the rain

Find what the rain did

The roof again. Then the deck. Then the screwdriver.

A wood deck with railings looking out on a yard of trees in fall color

Deck and stairs: loose fasteners?

  1. Moss growing between old wood roof shingles
  2. Outdoor stairs with an iron railing and fallen leaves on the treads
  3. Cream paint peeling off weathered wood boards

01 Roof. 02 Railings. 03 Soft wood.

The dry months

Summer, the dry months

Repainting, rot repair and carpentry.
The wood is dry and paint cures properly.

Photos: Unsplash (1), Pexels (2 to 4)

A painter on a porch roof painting the trim of a window on a green shingled Craftsman house

SummerTime for the bigger work.

A circular saw cutting new boards
A hand plane shaving a white window frame
A bead of dark sealant run along a window sill

1 Window trim. 2 Rot repair. 3 Carpentry. 4 Sealing.

Before the first coat

Exterior prep

What happens before the first coat

Want us to do it, every season?

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The exterior year, season by season

  1. 01 Fall, before the rain

    Gutters and downspouts, a look at the roof from the ground, caulk joints, bare wood, vent screens, plants cut back.

  2. 02 During the rain

    Watch where the water goes, check ceilings and walls for stains, look in the attic after a heavy storm.

  3. 03 Spring, after the rain

    The roof again, a screwdriver along the sills and siding, wash and look at the paint, check the deck.

  4. 04 Summer, the dry months

    Repainting, rot repair and carpentry, while the wood is dry and nothing has to beat a storm.

Who handles what: our crew makes roof repairs, a re-roof goes to a licensed roofer we bring in, and drainage to a civil engineer.

Who handles what

Our crew makes roof repairs too. A re-roof goes to a licensed roofer we bring in.

  • Gutters, caulk, paint, wood repair, vents and screens.

    Our crewMcDermaid

  • A re-roof, a new roof or anything structural.

    A licensed roofer or an engineerWe bring them in

  • A yard that drains toward the house.

    A civil engineerWe help you find one

More on water: our gutters and flashing post.

The program

Important work, on a calendar.

Rather not keep the calendar yourself? Our Annual Maintenance Program puts this list on a schedule.

Join the maintenance program

Written by McDermaid Restoration & Remodeling, a family run painting and remodeling company on the Bay Area Peninsula.Updated

Topic

Exterior Painting