Fall Checklist for Gorge-Area Roofs and Gutters

Around the Gorge, autumn is beautiful and brutal in the same month: the canopy that draws the visitors drops straight into your valleys and gutters. This is the checklist we run each fall.

1. Clear Valleys and Gutters — After the Drop

Timing matters: clean too early and you do it twice. Once the bulk of the leaves are down, clear the valleys, gutters, and downspouts so winter water has somewhere to go besides under your roofing.

2. Walk the Fasteners and Boots

Summer’s heat cycles work metal-roof screws loose and dry out pipe boots. A fall re-check catches them before freeze-thaw turns small gaps into real leaks.

3. Look at the Trees

Dead limbs over a roofline are winter roof damage on a schedule. Deal with the obvious hangers before ice adds weight to them.

4. Cabins: Winterize

For rental cabins, add exterior faucet and line protection, door seal checks, and a photo record of the roof going into winter — the cheap insurance against the season’s expensive claims. Our seasonal packages exist for exactly this; the checklist is the same one we run on paid visits.