Maintenance & inspections
Maintenance is how you avoid the replacement conversation
Pacific Northwest roofs rarely fail suddenly - they fail slowly, under moss, needles and small flashing gaps that nobody looked at. A yearly inspection with written findings costs a fraction of the leak it prevents.
The inspection
What a real roof inspection covers
An inspection should produce findings you can read and keep - photos, locations, priorities - not a one-line quote for a new roof.
Flashing & transitions
Chimneys, walls, skylights and dormers - the places roofs actually leak first.
Penetrations & boots
Pipe boots, vents and fan caps - cheap parts that cause expensive ceilings.
Moss, debris & drainage
Valleys, gutters and shaded planes where the Northwest does its slow damage.
Field condition
Granule loss, curling, cracking and wind damage across every plane.
Ventilation evidence
Attic moisture, blocked intake and cooked shingles - the hidden roof killers.
Written priorities
Fix now, watch, plan for - so you can budget instead of react.
Moss
Moss is not cosmetic - and pressure washing is not the answer
Moss lifts shingle edges, holds water against the roof and shortens its life. But aggressive removal does more damage than the moss: pressure washing strips granules and years of service life. The right sequence is gentle removal, zinc treatment to keep it from returning, and clearing the debris that feeds it.
- Hand and air removal - never pressure washing on composition shingles
- Zinc application along ridges for season-long protection
- Gutter, valley and surface debris clearing on the same visit
Cadence
How often a roof should be looked at
- Once a year for most roofs - late summer or early fall, before the rain returns
- Twice a year for roofs under heavy tree cover or past year 15
- After any major windstorm - ten minutes of checking beats a winter of leaking
Portfolios
Programs for HOAs & multiple properties
For boards and managers: recurring inspections across every building, a running condition record, remaining-service-life estimates and work sequenced into budget years. More on commercial & multifamily →
Want the roof looked at before the rain arrives?
Late summer and early fall book out fast. Get an inspection with written findings on the calendar.