What I Tell Every Homeowner Before Rainy Season

San Diego gets most of its rain between November and March. The roofs that leak are rarely the oldest ones — they're the ones nobody looked at since last winter.

Look up from the ground

Walk around the house with binoculars or your phone camera zoomed in. Look for cracked or slipped tiles, lifted shingle edges and anything sitting in the valleys.

Clear gutters and drains

Clogged gutters and flat-roof drains push water back under the roof edge. Clearing them is the cheapest leak prevention there is.

Check the attic after the first rain

Bring a flashlight and look for dark spots on the wood or damp insulation, especially around vents, chimneys and skylights.

Don't wait on small stains

A small ceiling stain today can mean soaked insulation and rotted decking by spring. Small repairs are fast and inexpensive when caught early.