Five things to check on your roof before winter

1. Gutters

Leaves and moss block them, water overflows, the wall gets soaked and the fascia rots. Look for plants growing out of them, green streaks on the wall below, and water pouring over the edge in rain. Clear them or have them cleared.

2. Moss on the roof

Moss holds water against the tiles, freezes and lifts them, and slides into the gutters in lumps. A thick blanket on a north-facing slope is worth removing; a light dusting isn't.

3. Flashings and ridges

From the ground with binoculars: lead at the chimney should lie flat against the brickwork; ridge tiles should sit straight with no gaps in the mortar. Anything lifted or missing is a winter leak waiting.

4. Flat roofs

Standing water a day after rain, blisters, cracks at the upstands where the roof meets a wall, or vegetation growing in the covering. Any of those and it needs looking at before the frost.

5. The loft

Go up with a torch on a rainy day. Daylight through the roof, damp patches on the underlay, wet insulation or a musty smell all mean water is getting in somewhere.

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