What if your roof starts leaking in the middle of a rainy Seattle winter? Worried you'll have to wait until summer to get your leaking roof fixed and avoid the rain?
If your roof is in dire need of replacement, you might be wondering if you can still get the job done during Seattle’s notoriously rainy season. This concern is understandable—after all, no one wants to deal with leaks or damage caused by a poorly timed roof replacement.
Every year, we at RoofSmart do hundreds of roof replacements and repairs, even during the peak rainy season in winter. We have become experts in handling roofing projects in wet weather conditions and ensuring that homes stay protected, no matter the season.
In this article, we’ll walk you through when it’s possible, when it’s not, and how the pros handle it.
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Is It Safe to Replace My Roof in the Rain in Seattle?
Yes, roofers can still replace your roof in the rain, depending on how hard it’s raining.
Everyone knows that the Seattle area is very rainy. This constant rain can lead to roof leaks, attic mold, rotting wood, and other water damage in the roof. When your roof is being worked on during the rain, your roofer must take extra precautions to avoid water damage on your roof.
Occasionally, Seattle will get a really heavy downpour for a short period of time. When that happens, your roofers must stop and wait it out.
If the heavy downpour lasts all day, then your roofer will have to wait for the next day to resume work on the roof. The roof replacement can continue if the rain is more like the typical Seattle light drizzle.
Pausing during a heavy downpour prevents moisture from getting into the house through the roof, which would lead to issues like mold or rotting wood. So long as there is only a light drizzle, this can be avoided.
Roofing in a heavy downpour can cause extensive water damage to your attic, roof, and home. This will make the replacement process longer and more expensive.
Not all roofers will agree that you should continue roofing in the rain. Although roofers in the Pacific Northwest do exercise caution and stop roofing when conditions are dangerous for the crews or your roof, we’ve also accepted that this is the weather we’re working in and have adapted ways to get around it.
Can You Replace a Flat Roof During the Rainy Season in Seattle?
Flat roofs are very difficult to replace in the rain, but it is technically possible. There’s no way to do temporary protection as you go, like you can with an asphalt roof (more on this later).
Instead, your roofer would have to build a tent around your roof on all sides to protect it from the rain because flat roofs must be welded on, and this cannot happen in the rain.
This is a common practice on Seattle roofs in the fall and winter when rain is heaviest. The tent keeps water from getting into your home and allows your roofer to continue working on your roof.
Here’s an example of a tent built over a rooftop deck we worked on recently:
This adds a lot of extra time and labor to the project, making it much more expensive. As a result, your roofer would likely only opt to do this if there was an emergency, like having an active, major leak.
Once the tent is set up, your roofer can proceed with their normal process. However, it’s much easier and less expensive to wait until the rain clears up.
How Do Roofers Replace a Roof During Rainy Weather in Seattle?
Luckily, heavy downpours usually only last for a few hours, so the roofers can work around this by taking breaks during the heavy downpour and returning to the job when it clears up.
Here are the steps that Seattle roofers follow to make sure your roof stays protected while they work in the rain:
1. Tear Off the Old Roof in Sections
The first step in replacing a roof is tearing off the old shingles. This can be tricky in the rain because tearing off the shingles and underlayment leaves the plywood underneath exposed to moisture. You don’t want this to get super wet because it will cause the wood to rot.
So, when there is a little bit of rain or rainy weather, your roofer will need to tear off the roof one section at a time, making sure that they only tear off what they can immediately cover back up with new underlayment. It is a slower process than usual, but the benefit is that the roofer can continue making progress on your roof.
2. Immediately Installing New Underlayment
Adding new underlayment is crucial when roofing in rainy weather because it will protect the plywood from getting wet.
Once the ice and water shield is on, you’re good to go. Your roofer now has a protective barrier on the house and can begin installing shingles. They can even put the shingles on the underlayment when it's wet.
There are different types of underlayment that you can choose from, but if you know that you’ll be getting your roof replaced in the rain, we’d recommend using a synthetic underlayment like ice and water shield. This is specifically designed to protect your roof from damage caused by water or ice.
The value of synthetic underlayments like ice and water shields, as opposed to an alternative option like tar paper, is that they don't absorb water. So you can put it down, and rain can get all over it, and it doesn't matter because it doesn't absorb the water.
3. Monitor the Weather While Still Working
If the rain picks up while the roofer is still working on tearing off old materials and installing new underlayment, they can start putting shingles on the sections they’ve already done.
The roofing crew might decide it’s too much of a risk to start clearing off another section if the rain picks up and pause for a while. So, depending on how much it rains throughout the day, this might not be a linear process. You might have some sections of old roof, some sections with just underlayment, and some sections with new shingles.
Most of the time, this adjusted process for the rainy winter months takes about 10 to 20% longer than usual.
Worried Your Roof Has an Urgent Leak? Here’s How to Spot the Signs
At this point, you know that replacing your roof during the rainy season in Seattle is possible, with the right process, materials, and experienced contractors. But what if it’s already too late? What if water is seeping in right now?
If you’re seeing discoloration on your ceiling, musty smells in your attic, or dripping during storms, those are red flags you shouldn’t ignore.
Now that you understand the precautions roofers take during wet weather, your next step is learning how to spot the early signs of roof leaks before they lead to costly damage.
Read our article “Signs That Your Roof Is Leaking During Seattle’s Rainy Season” so you can catch problems early and know when it’s time to act.
Want a roofing professional to help you identify leaks or other issues? Schedule an inspection with RoofSmart!
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