Reading & Writing Assignment
Article 1
“Roofing Underlayment Types”
There are three types of underlayment.
Asphalt-saturated felt
It comes in 15-pound and 30-pound weights.
Has a perm rating of about 5.
On slopes 2:12 up to 4:12 minimum of 19 inches overlap.
For 4:12 and steeper overlap lower courses by at least 2 inches.
Rubberized asphalt
It typically have adhesive on one side, and comes with a selvedge edge along one side of the roll. The selvedge edge is designed to create a strong, watertight seal along the edges where rolls overlap.
Non-bitumen synthetic
It is made from polypropylene or polyethylene and is typically non-skid. It is resistant to fungal growth. Wicking can be more of a problem than with felt underlayment.
Article 2
“Anti-Tip Brackets for Freestanding Ranges”
These are brackets designed to prevent freestanding ranges from tipping. It may be possible to see a wall-mounted bracket by looking over the rear of the range. Inspectors can firmly grip the upper-rear section of the range and tip the unit. If equipped with an anti-tip bracket, the unit will not tip more than several inches before coming to a halt. If no anti-tip bracket is detected, inspectors should recommend that one be installed.
This roof has 6 different skylights. This one has some screws ready to fall out. Also there are pieces of loose insulation in the middle of the skylight. They are not only unsightly, but also allow warm air to escape from the room the skylight lights up.
I read an article about Tree Inspections. I was a very interesting read. It talks about things that I have never thought about. The articles hits on the type of rope that should be used. It suggest using clamps to attach to the tree instead tying the rope to the limb. It also advises doing research of the type of tree for strength purposes, before just picking one tree. It also talks about what is below the tree swing just in case a child falls.
The second articles talks about Thermostats. This article discusses how to pick a good location for the thermostat. What types of energy efficient thermostats are good for different environments. The article gives homeowners advise how to clean the thermostat and keep them working for you.
Mastering Roof Inspections:
Hail Damage Part-3
One of the variables concerning hail damage are the size of the hailstone. Usually a hailstone must be at least 1" in diameter before damage is observed. It is important to know that different roofing materials can withstand different sized hailstones.
Hail Damage Part 4
Density is also an important variable regarding the amount of damage a hailstone can do. Density refers to the hardness of a hailstone. If a hailstone contains air bubbles, it is softer that one composed of pure ice. It does less damage. A soft hailstone may leave only a spatter mark.
Also important is velocity. A hailstone may fall 50 mph and up to 90 mph. It depends mostly on the weight of the hailstone.
The above picture is of a roof covering with some issues. The first thing that I noticed was that the roof was added onto and where that transition is a big mound going from a single layer of shingles to a double layer. The shingles on the flatter part of the roof were severely deteriorated and curling up. On the steeper part of the roof the shingles appear to be ok. The lower part of the shingles also had a piece of the chimney cap lying on it. There were two chimney on this house and both caps are in need of replacing. One other note the downspout from the upper roof was draining directly onto the lower part of the roof.
This is an image of a closed-cut valley. In this image you can observe a 36" wide rolled roofing valley flashing which is installed over the aluminum drip edge, you can also see that the drip edge extends down to properly cover the top edge of the aluminum fascia.
The roof covering is architectural shingles which are cut back from the center of the valley 2", at this time there are no visual defects in the roof covering or any of the roof components.
The two articles that I chose to read were Aging in place and Air sampling for mold inspection. The first article was about seniors that wish to spend the rest of their lives in the home they currently reside. The article spoke about suggested requirements for a home with senior citizens and their need to plan ahead and have the renovations already in place before a health concern requires them to need them.
The second article was about how air sampling can be used to detect which type of mold is found in the house. This should only be used in controlled environments and as only part of the inspection for mold. The best use for it is before and after remediation to make sure it was completely removed.
There is nothing Lisa or anyone here can do for you. Only you can log out of this message board, and then log back into this message board using only your member username and password. Until then, you won’t be able to post images.
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Attic ventilation part 1
I liked the article and it was informative, however I do not understand how a whole house fan can cause back draft when it is meant to be used in the summer (when the furnace is off and the A/C might be on) to pull hot air out of the living area and into the attic. In my opinion the only way back draft would occur in the summer is if the house has a gas water heater, and the fan and the water heater were operating at the same time, and the water heater and furnace shared a common flue.
Wind damage part 1
Living in the midwest I am familiar with tornadoes and their destructive power. i had never heard or thought about the “Lee Waves” and their strength or the way they can affect the geography, it was very informative.
Inspection of a roofing system at a single story residents.
DHinckley 2/22/16
I conducted an inspection of a roofing system and found the following; the roof consisted of a single layer of 3 tab asphalt shingles with galvanized drip edge. The roof appears to be original to the structure which was built in 1998.
The roof currently missing 4 shingle tabs and is showing signs tab edge curling.
The plumbing boot on the 1 ½” vent stack has a minor leak and there is a metal pan in the attic that was rusty and dry under the stack.
The Fascia is white aluminum clad with a vinyl soffit, both are in good shape.
The roof framing structure is hurricane strapped with the strap over the rafter and 3 nails. The roof sheathing is nailed with 8D common nails.
The attic is ventilated with 2 power fans at each gable end and along the soffit. There is free flow of air from the soffits.
Other than the plumbing stack there are no other apparent leaks.
This is a picture of Gable venting in the attic. Gable venting Screen is clogged up with debris. Vent should be clear form debris build-up to provide good venting in the attic.
DHinckley 2/22/16
Mastering Roof Inspections: Asphalt Composition Shingles, Part 1 & 2
Prior to 2008 the use of fiberglass and organic mats were used in asphalt shingle composition in the USA. Organic or felt shingles are better suited for cold weather and are formed by using a thinner asphalt up to 170 times (by weight) of the mat for the core of the shingle and then sandwiched between heaver asphalt. Organic Volatile loss happens at fairly low temperatures and over time though evaporation. When Organic shingles age they can hold moisture and curl.
Since 2008 all shingle mats have been made of fiberglass, about 2% of the shingles weight is made up of the mat. Fiberglass is not as prone to retaining moisture as organic shingles. Fiberglass shingles are better suited for warm wet climates. The quality of fiberglass shingles varies with manufacture.
Re roof inspection- Inspected the my roof for this assignment. House is brand new so no blown off shingles, hail damage or any installation problems. Did an attic inspection on a previous forum and no damage underneath from moisture or any other penetrations noticeable. Also because the house is brand new there is still a two year builder warranty covered through The Alberta New Home Warranty program.
This photo shows the soffit and fascia are separating and beginning to sag. I know from talking to the occupants that they have a problem with water intruding and pooling on the garage floor. The problem is more than the suggested gutter leak or flooding. The issue appears to be from higher up the ridge line and toward the peak. The flashing looks to be improperly installed along with an excessive overhang of the shingles. Water runs down the soffit and down the garage framing and exits out of the fascia as well.
The two articles I read were about cool roofs and underlayment. It is interesting to see the technology that goes into roofing materials. There are aspects of materials designed, besides the obvious, to help the consumer become more efficient. The result is in money savings and rebates in some instances. The cool roof is designed of course to be a protection from the elements but it was also in hopes to create an energy savings. Although the availability is not common it is a roof system to look at if your house warrants such a roof and the characteristics of heat dissipation.
The underlayment article was straight forward and simple. It went over the need, the different types and applications of it. It also had a brief concept of the layers of a typical roof system to include Flashing, counter flashing, ice and water shield and roofing materials.
This is roof is covered with an architectural style shingle. There is a single layer of shingles and there is no observable missing or damaged shingles or observable previous repairs. The flashing and boots appear to be in good condition with no observable damage. There is a drip edge installed on the eave and rake edges of the roof. This roof is vented utilizing an eave and ridge line vent system and appears to be in good condition. The gutters and downspouts appear to be free of damage and debris and the downspouts are properly directed away from the house.
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As I was got to the rear of this house I noticed the water damage behind the flashing o this chimney. When I got up on the roof and noticed that no cricket flashing was installed I realized where most of the problem was occurring. The step flashing on the side was loose and without any type of diverter the water just stood on the backside of the chimney until it soaked under/ through the step flashing, causing significant wood rot.
Brian Guess
HomeSpect-it www.homespectit.com
I just finished reading two articles for this assignment concerning Knob and Tube wiring and how Dating houses.
I am familiar with knob and tube wiring but did not know that they could carry a slightly higher amperage then romex but will agree that one of the biggest safety concerns are the modifications done by unskilled home owners or others to these systems.
The dating of houses was interesting in the tip that some thermo pane windows have the date stamped on the aluminum spacers in between the window panes. Also interesting is that I did not realize that the larger houses produced during the Victorian age were a result of increased manufacturing capability. Makes sense now when you think about it.
I read the articles on “mastering a roof inspection/ metal roof” Growing up on a farm in Texas, I saw many metal roofs, but most of those were on barns and such. It was only the lower income families that had metal roofs on their residences. Now, at least here in San Antonio, metal roofs are one of the most sought after types. According to many of the local roofers the cost to value ratio is higher now on metal roofs. However, the stigma of being cheap is around with people who are “uneducated” on the topic.
Brian Guess
HomeSpect-it www.homespectit.com
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