Had a similar experience myself a few years back. Started noticing damp spots in the attic ceiling and immediately assumed the worst—figured I was staring down a hefty roof replacement bill. Turns out, squirrels had built a cozy nest right in my downspout, backing up water every time it rained. Cleared that out (poor squirrels lost their penthouse), and problem solved. Definitely learned my lesson about regular gutter checks... cheaper than calling a roofer, that's for sure.
Good catch on checking the gutters first—it's surprising how often something small like that turns into a big headache. Before jumping to conclusions about a full roof replacement, I always recommend a quick visual inspection: look for debris buildup, clogged drainage points, or even cracked caulking around vents and chimneys. Nine times out of ten, it's something minor and easily fixable. Glad you dodged the bullet this time... those squirrels might disagree though.
Definitely agree on checking caulking around vents and chimneys—seen plenty of leaks start there. I'd also add flashing to your quick inspection list; sometimes a loose or bent piece can cause headaches later. And yeah, squirrels... nature's little demolition crew, haha.
Had a squirrel chew through some flashing once—little guy turned my attic into his personal penthouse. Took me forever to figure out where the leak was coming from because it wasn't obvious at first glance. Definitely second the flashing check, but I'd also suggest giving your gutters a quick look. Had a clogged gutter overflow and seep under shingles once... small oversight, big headache. Learned that lesson the hard way.
Good points on flashing and gutters, but honestly, sometimes I wonder if regular roof checkups are a bit overrated. I mean, sure, catching stuff early can save cash—but I've had inspectors miss some pretty obvious issues before. Had one guy swear everything was fine, only to have shingles flying off in the next storm. Ended up climbing up myself (carefully!) and found loose nails everywhere. Made me question if paying for annual checks is really worth it, or if it's better to just keep an eye out yourself and call someone when things look sketchy.
Also, squirrels are sneaky little ninjas... had one chew through my cable line once. No penthouse suite, just ruined my weekend Netflix binge.
