Metro Vancouver Rainy Season Home Checklist
Overview
Before Metro Vancouver's rainy season settles in, usually from mid to late October, homeowners should clear roof moss, clean gutters and downspouts, confirm that drainage carries water away from the foundation, and check siding, decks and fences for anything that needs attention before the wet months. The order matters. Roof debris ends up in the gutters, and gutter debris ends up in the drainage, so working from the top of the house down means you only do each job once. Most of this list is a weekend of checking and a few booked visits, and it protects the house through the five or six months when the Lower Mainland gets most of its rain.
Get a free quote. Wells Property Services handles roof moss removal, gutter cleaning and exterior maintenance across the Lower Mainland, including New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, North Vancouver and South Surrey.
Start at the Top: Roof and Moss
Why This Has to Come First
Everything on a house drains downward, including the mess from maintenance. Clearing moss off a roof sends a lot of material into the gutters, so if the gutters are cleaned first, they need doing again the week after. Cleaning the roof first and the gutters second, ideally in the same visit, is the order that saves you paying for the same job twice.
There is a timing reason too. Roof work is the most weather-dependent job on this list. Moss can still be removed by hand once the rain starts, but safe working days on a wet roof get fewer as October turns into November. Gutters and drainage are more forgiving, so the roof is the one to get on the calendar first.
What to Look For From the Ground
You do not need to get on the roof to know whether it needs attention. Walk around the house on a dry day, ideally with a pair of binoculars.
Look at the north-facing slopes and any sections shaded by trees first, because that is where moss establishes in the Lower Mainland. Green or yellow-green growth along shingle edges and seams, rather than just in patches, means it is spreading. Look for shingle edges that appear lifted or uneven, since moss wedges under the edges as it grows. Check the ground under the downspout outlets for dark gritty sand, which is shingle granule loss.
If you can see green from the driveway, it is well established, and one more wet season is going to push it further into the seams.
Gutters, Downspouts and Where the Water Actually Goes
The Downspout Test Most People Skip
A gutter can look clean from the ground and still not drain, because the blockage is in the downspout. The test takes ten minutes.
On a dry day, run a garden hose into the gutter at the end furthest from the downspout. Watch where the water goes. It should run along the trough and come out of the bottom of the downspout in a steady flow within a few seconds. If it pools in the gutter, spills over the edge, or the downspout only trickles, there is a blockage. If you cannot safely reach the gutter with a hose, do the same check during the first decent rain instead: every downspout should be running, and no gutter should be spilling over.
Many older homes in Burnaby, New Westminster and East Vancouver have downspouts that feed into an underground pipe at a standpipe near ground level. If water backs up and overflows at that standpipe, the blockage is below ground, and that is a different job from a gutter clean.
Drainage Away From the Foundation
The goal is simple: roof water should end up well away from the walls of the house. Where downspouts discharge onto the surface, the outlet should carry water out and away from the foundation, with an extension or splash block if needed, not drop it at the base of the wall.
Check the grade as well. Soil and landscaping beside the house should slope away from it, not toward it. Garden beds built up over the years, settled soil and patios that have sunk toward the house can all turn the ground around a foundation into a collection basin.
If you have a basement or crawlspace, take a look inside after the first heavy rain of the season. Damp patches, a musty smell or water staining along the base of the walls are much easier to deal with in October than in February.
Want the roof and gutters done in the right order before the weather turns? Get a free quote and Wells Property Services will look at the whole property and get back to you fast.
Siding, Decks and Fences Before the Wet Sets In
The Last Good Window for Washing and Staining
Staining and sealing need dry wood and a stretch of dry days afterwards for the finish to cure. In Metro Vancouver that combination gets rare from mid October on, and by November it is mostly gone. If a deck or fence stain is going to happen this year, it needs to happen early in the fall. If that window has already passed by the time you read this, the honest advice is to book it for late spring instead, because stain applied to damp wood or rained on before it cures does not last.
Washing is more flexible, but there is still a reason to do it before winter. A deck that goes into the rainy season covered in leaves, needles and algae film stays wet underneath all winter, and that is how boards start to soften. Clearing the surface and the gaps between boards helps it drain and dry between storms. The same goes for siding: dirt and organic growth hold moisture against the wall.
While you are out there, check the siding for loose or cracked pieces, gaps around windows and doors where caulking has pulled away, and any spot where a sprinkler or a downspout has been hitting the same patch of wall. Small gaps become water entry points once the rain is sideways.
What Can Safely Wait Until Spring
Not everything needs to be done before October, and it is worth knowing what can wait so the important items get the attention.
A full house wash, window cleaning, driveway and patio pressure washing and repainting can all wait for the dry months without real risk to the house. They look better done, but they are not protecting anything structural over winter. In fact, some of them are better done in spring, once the winter's growth and grime have had their go and you are cleaning up after the season rather than before it.
The items that should not wait are the roof, the gutters and the drainage. Those are the three that decide whether the rain ends up in the storm drain or in your fascia, your walls and your basement.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the rainy season actually start in Metro Vancouver?
Sustained rain usually arrives from mid to late October, and November is typically the wettest month of the year in Vancouver. The rainy stretch then runs through to about March. Timing varies from year to year, which is why it is safer to finish roof and gutter work by mid October rather than plan around a particular week.
What is the single most important item on this list?
Gutters and downspouts that actually drain. A roof can carry moss through a winter and still keep water out, but blocked gutters send water into fascia, soffits and foundations every time it rains. If you only get one thing done before winter, make sure the water coming off your roof is reaching the ground well away from the house.
Can any of this be done once the rain starts?
Most of it, yes. Gutter cleaning carries on through the fall and winter, and roof moss can still be removed by hand in cool, wet conditions, although safe working days on a wet roof become fewer and scheduling gets tighter. Staining and sealing are the exception. They need dry wood and dry days to cure properly, so they are best left for spring once the fall window closes.
How far ahead should I book to get it done in time?
Earlier is better, because October is when fall schedules across the Lower Mainland fill up and rain days start pushing jobs back. For roof work in particular, booking in September or the first half of October gives you the best chance of getting it done before the wet weather settles in. Gutter cleaning has more flexibility, since the ideal time for the fall clean is after the leaves are down in November.
Get your roof and gutters ready before the rain does the testing for you. Wells Property Services offers free estimates across Metro Vancouver, including New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam, North and West Vancouver and South Surrey. Get a free quote.
