A roof in Lancaster County does not wear out all at once. It wears out a little every season. Snow and ice in winter, heavy rain in spring, heat and storms in summer, and leaves in fall each go after a different part of the roof and the gutters. If you know what each season tends to do, you can catch small problems while they are still small.
This guide walks through the year the way we see it at Greenawalt Roofing Company. It covers what to look for, when to look, what a homeowner can safely handle from the ground, and when it makes more sense to have a professional take a look. It applies whether your house is in the city, out toward Mountville or Ironville, or up near Salunga and Landisville.
Why the Seasons Matter So Much Here
Our part of Pennsylvania gets all four seasons, and the swings between them are hard on building materials. A roof expands in summer heat and contracts in winter cold. Water that gets into a small gap can freeze overnight, push the gap a little wider, thaw the next afternoon, and do it again. That freeze and thaw cycle is behind a lot of the damage homeowners only notice once there is a stain on the ceiling.
Each season also brings its own kind of trouble:
- Winter: snow load, ice along the eaves, and water working back under shingles.
- Spring: long soaking rains that find any weak spot, plus gutters still clogged from fall.
- Summer: strong sun on shingles and fast-moving storms with wind and hail.
- Fall: leaves and seed pods filling gutters right before the cold arrives.
The rest of this guide takes them one at a time.
Winter: Snow, Ice and the Leaks You Don't See Yet
Winter is when a lot of roof problems start, even if nobody notices them until spring. When snow sits on a roof, heat from the house can melt the bottom layer. That water runs down to the colder edge of the roof, refreezes, and builds a ridge of ice. Water then backs up behind that ice and can work its way under shingles.
What to watch for from the ground
- Thick ice building along the gutters and eaves.
- Long icicles hanging from one spot, especially if they keep coming back there.
- Gutters pulling away from the house or sagging under ice.
- Water stains or damp spots on ceilings near outside walls.
- Patches of roof where snow melts much faster than the rest, which can point to heat escaping.
What not to do
Please don't climb onto a snowy or icy roof, and don't chip at ice with a hammer or shovel. It is dangerous, and it is easy to crack shingles or tear gutters loose. If you see ice causing trouble or water coming inside, it is a better job for a crew with the right equipment.
Roof work does happen in winter when it needs to. One of our customers described a replacement done right after a snowfall:
"The crew arrived at 6:45 AM and first had to remove the snow from my roof before they could even start. The Foreman was very polite and courteous to me, I really didn’t have any interactions with the installers. They hustled all the time despite the weather conditions. They protected all my shrubs as best they could from the snow that was coming off of the roof." Mark McLain
If a leak shows up in the middle of winter, you do not have to wait for spring. Our roof repair service exists to stop leaks before they reach the ceiling.
Early Spring: The Best Time for a Post-Winter Check
Once the snow is gone and the ice has melted, take a careful look at the roof and gutters. This is when winter damage first becomes visible, and the long spring rains are still ahead.
A simple spring walk-around
- Walk all the way around the house. Binoculars help.
- Look for shingles that are missing, curled, cracked or lifted at the edges.
- Check the flashing around chimneys, vents and skylights for gaps or bent metal.
- Look at the gutters. Are they straight, firmly attached and draining?
- Check the ground under the downspouts for washed-out soil or standing water.
- Go into the attic on a sunny day and look for daylight coming through, damp insulation, or dark stains on the wood.
If anything on that list looks off, write it down and take a photo. That gives a roofer a lot to work with when you call.
Spring is also a good time to book an inspection if you aren't sure what you're looking at. An inspection tells you what you're dealing with before the next big storm, and it is much easier to plan a repair than to react to a leak.
Spring Rains: Where Water Goes Matters
Lancaster springs can bring days of steady rain. That's when you find out whether your gutters are doing their job. Gutters that are clogged, sagging or pitched wrong let water spill over the edge and land right against the foundation, or sit in the gutter and rot the wood behind it.
During or right after a heavy rain, look for these signs:
- Water pouring over the front of the gutter instead of down the downspout.
- Drips coming from seams or corners.
- Downspouts that empty right at the foundation instead of away from the house.
- Peeling paint or soft wood on the fascia boards behind the gutters.
- Damp spots in the basement after a storm.
Some of this can be handled by a homeowner, such as adding a downspout extension or clearing a clog you can reach safely from a sturdy ladder on level ground. If the gutters are pulling away, leaking at the seams or simply too small for the roof, look at our gutter service. Gutters are there to send water where it belongs, and when they stop doing that, the damage spreads to the house.
Summer: Heat, Sun and Sudden Storms
Summer is easier on a roof in some ways and harder in others. Long hot days bake asphalt shingles, and over the years that wears down the granules that protect them. Summer storms that roll across the county can bring strong wind and sometimes hail in a short burst.
After a summer storm
- Look for shingles in the yard or on the driveway.
- Check for lifted or creased shingles, especially along the edges and ridge.
- Look for branches resting on the roof.
- Check gutters and downspouts for dents or loose sections.
- Look in the gutters and at the bottom of downspouts for heavy piles of shingle granules.
Some granules are normal on an older roof, but a sudden heavy amount after a storm is worth a closer look. So is any shingle that has blown off. A missing shingle leaves the layer underneath exposed, and the next rain will find it.
Summer is a good time to plan bigger work
If your roof is near the end of its life, summer and early fall are good times to decide what to do before cold weather comes back. If repairs keep adding up, it may be time to talk about replacement. One homeowner shared what that process was like with us:
"Very knowledgeable staff! Answered any and all questions. The job was complete one week after I got a quote!" Bryan Achey
Fall: Leaves, Gutters and Getting Ready for Cold
Fall may be the most important season for roof and gutter care in this area. Lancaster, Silver Spring, Mountville and the surrounding towns have plenty of mature trees, and their leaves end up in gutters. Clogged gutters going into winter are a setup for ice buildup and water backing up at the roof edge.
Your fall checklist
- Clear the gutters after most of the leaves have dropped, and check again later in the fall if you have a lot of trees.
- Run water through the downspouts to make sure they're clear all the way down.
- Trim branches that hang over the roof or rub against it.
- Look again at flashing around chimneys and vents, since winter will test it.
- Check the attic for any signs of moisture before the cold sets in.
- Fix any small problems you found earlier in the year before the first freeze.
Fall is a good time for a professional look because whatever is found can usually be fixed before the weather turns. If you've been meaning to schedule an inspection, fall is a smart time to do it.
What You Can Do Yourself, and What You Shouldn't
We are happy when homeowners keep an eye on their own roofs. A lot of problems are caught early by someone who walked around the house and noticed something new. But there's a clear line between watching and climbing.
Generally fine for a homeowner
- Looking at the roof from the ground, with binoculars if needed.
- Checking the attic for light, damp spots or stains.
- Cleaning gutters you can reach safely from a stable ladder on firm, level ground.
- Adding downspout extensions to carry water away from the foundation.
- Keeping branches trimmed back from the house.
Better left to a roofer
- Walking on the roof, especially if it is steep, wet, icy or more than one story up.
- Replacing shingles or repairing flashing.
- Tracking down the source of a leak, which often starts somewhere other than where the stain shows up.
- Fixing sagging or detached gutters.
- Anything after a storm where the damage isn't clear.
If you are unsure, that usually means it's worth a call. A ladder fall is a much bigger problem than any leak.
Signs It Is Time to Call Right Away
Some problems can wait for a convenient appointment. These shouldn't:
- Water dripping inside the house or a ceiling stain that is growing.
- Shingles missing after wind or a storm.
- A tree or large branch on the roof.
- Gutters hanging loose or pulled off the house.
- Sagging spots on the roof itself.
Greenawalt Roofing Company answers the phone around the clock, every day of the week. If something happens at night or over the weekend, you can still reach us.
What Working With Us Looks Like
When you call, we'll ask what you're seeing, when it started and where it is. From there we'll come look at the roof and the gutters and explain what we find in plain language. If it's a repair, we'll tell you. If the roof is near the end of its life, we'll tell you that too, and walk you through what a replacement involves.
Homeowners tell us that communication and care for their property matter as much as the roof itself. One customer put it this way:
"I was most impressed at how well everything was coordinated, from dumpster and supply delivery to installation and cleanup. So much care was given to protecting my house and landscaping, which I’m very thankful for." Shawn Klinger
You can read more of what neighbors have said on our reviews page, or see finished work in the gallery.
Get Ahead of the Next Season
The easiest roof problem to fix is the one you find early. Whatever time of year you're reading this, there is probably one thing worth checking this week, whether that's the gutters, the flashing around the chimney or that stain in the upstairs bedroom.
If you live in Lancaster, Silver Spring, Salunga, Landisville, Mountville, Oyster Point, Ironville or Farmdale and want a second set of eyes on your roof or gutters, call Greenawalt Roofing Company at (717) 455-0403 for a free estimate. You can also send us a note through the form on our contact page and tell us what you're seeing. We'll help you figure out what your roof needs before the next season shows you.