When should I fix or replace my roof around DC?

December to February: nor'easters and ice at the eaves

Nor'easter season runs from fall into spring and peaks in December and January. These storms drive rain sideways, which is why winter leaks so often trace back to the flashing at a chimney or a wall rather than the shingles themselves.

Cold snaps add ice. Snow melts on the warm part of the roof, refreezes at the cold eave and backs meltwater up under the shingles. The stain shows on a ceiling near an outside wall. Water and freezing damage are about 22 percent of all home insurance claims, and most winter claims are filed within about two weeks of the event, so photograph it the day you find it.

Winter is the time to stop the water and get prices, not usually the time to replace a whole roof. See roof leak repair and what a roof leak does to the ceiling.

March to June: wind, hail and the busiest booking months

Severe wind and hail pick up from March through June. Lifted shingles, bent flashing and dented vents are the usual result. About one in four home insurance claims is linked to weather, and spring is when many of them start.

Spring is also when everyone else books. A roof you already know is failing is worth pricing in the winter so the date is held before the calendar fills. If a storm did the damage, read how the roof insurance claim works before you call the insurer.

July to October: storm rain in inches, not drizzle

Atlantic hurricane season peaks around September 10. The DC area rarely takes a direct hit. What it gets is the remnants, rain that falls in inches over a few hours and finds every tired seam on a flat row house roof and every gap at a pipe boot.

If water only comes in during the heaviest storms, the failure is usually a detail that copes with normal rain and not with a downpour. See flat roof repair and patch, coat or replace a flat roof.

September to November: the best window to replace

Fall is dry and mild, which is the weather a new roof wants. The average first freeze in Washington is around November 12, so get the inspection done in September or October and the work booked while the weather holds. Clear the gutters once the leaves are down, because a gutter full of leaves holds the water that freezes at the eave.

Not sure whether it is a repair or a whole roof? Repair or replacement, how to tell.

What to settle with any roofer before work starts

People praise contractors who show up when they said, keep them informed, price fairly up front and make the repair blend in. They complain about mess and confusing start times. All of that can be settled before anyone climbs a ladder.

• The date and the time of the visit, confirmed in writing. When we book a visit you get a text with the date, the time and the address.
• What failed, shown in photographs, before any price is discussed.
• The price in writing, including the price per sheet for any bad decking found once the old roof is off.
• How the yard and the driveway are left at the end of each day, and where the old material goes.
• How close the new shingles will match on a weathered roof, said before the work, not after.

We answer every day from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM. Call (240) 695-4415 or request an estimate.