Giving Your Roof a Spring Check After Winter

Winter is quietly hard on a roof. Months of rain, a few hard frosts and the odd gale all take their toll, and most of the damage happens where you can't see it from the sofa.

Once the weather warms up, it's worth giving your roof a proper look before spring turns into summer and you forget all about it. In Hereford, where the winter is more about relentless damp than deep snow, spring is the moment to catch the small problems the wet season has left behind.

The quick answer: A spring roof check means looking over your tiles, gutters, ridge and flashing after winter to spot slipped tiles, moss build-up and blocked gutters early, so small issues get fixed before they turn into leaks.

1. Start from the ground with a good look

You don't need to climb anything to begin. Stand back in the garden or across the road and look along the roof line, ideally on a dry, bright morning. Slipped or missing tiles show up as gaps or dark patches, and a sagging line can point to something more serious underneath.

Walk right around the house if you can. The north-facing slope is where our damp Herefordshire winters leave the heaviest moss, so pay it extra attention. In older parts of the city like Bartonsham, mature trees mean shade and leaf fall, which makes those shadowed slopes green up faster.

2. Check the gutters and downpipes

Winter fills gutters with everything the wind and rain can carry. By spring they're often packed with rotting leaves, grit washed off the tiles and lumps of moss. If water spilled over the edge during winter downpours, you'll usually see staining streaked down the wall below.

Look at the downpipes too, and watch how they run during a shower. Water gushing from a joint or pooling at the base by the wall is a sign of a blockage or a loose fitting. Left alone, that constant wetting works its way into the brickwork and shows up as damp inside.

3. Look for moss and its winter damage

Moss grows fastest in the cool, wet months, so spring is usually when it looks its worst. Thick green cushions along the tiles and in the valleys hold water against the roof, and where that water has frozen and thawed all winter, it may already have started to lift or crack the tiles.

Given how green and lush Herefordshire is, with orchards and hedgerows on every side, spores are always in the air. A roof that was clear a couple of years ago can carry a real layer of moss by spring. Clearing it now stops it seeding the gutters and spreading further through the year.

4. Inspect the ridge, chimney and flashing

The joints take the hardest hit over winter. Frost gets into the mortar around the ridge and chimney and slowly breaks it up, so by spring you may see crumbling pointing or a ridge tile sitting slightly proud. These are the spots most likely to leak if left.

Lead flashing is worth a look as well, especially where a main roof meets an extension or a bay. If it has lifted or split over the cold months, water will already be finding its way in. Catching it in spring gives you a dry window to sort it properly.

5. Check inside the loft

Some of the best clues are indoors. On a bright day, go up into the loft and look for pinpricks of daylight coming through, which mean a gap in the covering. Damp patches on the timbers, water stains or a musty smell all point to moisture that has been getting in over winter.

Run your eye over the felt or membrane under the tiles too. If you can see sagging, tears or dark staining, water has been sitting where it shouldn't. Spotting it from inside is often easier than from the roof itself, and it tells you exactly where to look outside.

6. Decide what to sort now

Spring gives you a dry run before the next wet season, so it's the ideal time to act on whatever the check turns up. A build-up of moss, a blocked gutter or a bit of failing mortar is far cheaper to deal with now than after it has let water into the house.

Some of it you can manage yourself from the ground, but anything up on the roof is safer left to someone with the kit and the experience. A cleaner can clear the moss, flush the gutters and check the joints in one visit, and flag anything that needs a roofer before it gets worse.

• Tiles: look for slips, gaps and cracks caused by winter frost.
• Gutters: clear packed leaves and moss so spring rain drains properly.
• Moss: heaviest after winter, so clear it before it seeds and spreads.
• Joints: check ridge, chimney and flashing for frost-damaged mortar.
• Loft: look inside for daylight, damp timbers and water stains.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is the best time for a spring roof check?
Once the worst of the frosts have passed, usually from March into April. Pick a dry, bright day so you can see slipped tiles and staining clearly and get up into the loft with some natural light.

What are the most common winter roof problems?
Slipped tiles, blocked gutters and cracked mortar around the ridge and chimney top the list. In our damp climate, a heavy layer of moss is almost as common and often makes the others worse.

Can I do the check myself?
You can do plenty from the ground and inside the loft with a torch and a careful eye. Anything that means getting onto the roof is best left to someone with the right equipment, as the tiles are slippery after winter.

Does moss really need removing in spring?
Yes, because it grows fastest over the wet months and holds moisture against the tiles. Clearing it in spring stops it choking the gutters and spreading further as the year goes on.

What if the check finds a leak?
Get it looked at quickly while the weather is dry. A small entry point found in spring is a straightforward fix, whereas the same gap left until autumn can cause real damage inside.

Want your roof checked over after winter?
Ben's Roof Cleaning carries out roof cleaning, moss removal and gutter cleaning across Hereford and Herefordshire, with over 15 years of experience. Get in touch or call 01432 687073 for a free, no-obligation quote.

A quick spring check saves a soggy autumn

Your roof has just carried you through the wettest, coldest part of the year, and it deserves a proper look before the next one comes round. A simple spring check, inside and out, catches the winter damage while it's still small and cheap to fix, which is the smartest way to keep a Hereford home dry all year.