Asphalt-saturated felt, rubberized, asphalt and non-bitumen synthetic are the three basic types. Felt underlayment is water resistant. It comes in 15lb or the heavier 30lb, the 30lb is much thicker and will last longer even if it becomes expose to the weather. The roofs with a 4:12 or more the underlayment need a 2" overlap. Roofs with less of a slope need to have a 19" overlap. They used to think the future of asphalt-saturated felt would not be used after 2014 due to the prices of crude oil. The underlayment can be damaged while being installed if this happens it should be fixed right away
The above picture is of a plumbing roof stock. The vent stock is missing the top portion of the flashing. I recommend for it to be replaced by a licence contractor.
I found this course to be very informational. I did find the topic about slopes, and pitch a little odd. In the portion where Ben was describing how they were different, but in the following chapters, they were using the wrong terms when describing some of the roof areas.
This photo is of a wall and roof intersecting. The shingles are in good condition and step flashing is installed underneath. However, the siding does not stop 1"-2" above the roof and there is evidence of a sealant previously applied to the bottom of the siding. I would recommend to have this looked at by a professional and consider painting immediately to avoid any further damage to the siding.
For my Reading and Writing Assignment I have chosen the following:
- “Inspecting Roof Panel Sheathing”
- “Collar Ties vs. Rafter Ties”
I began by reading “Inspecting Roof Panel Sheathing”. As part of the inspection of the roof system, the sheathing will be inspected by walking around on the roof and from inside the attic area. Some items to look for would be: 1) is the grain on the panels perpendicular to the rafters, 2) were sufficient fasteners used, do they extend through the sheathing, and 3) are there any signs of water penetration such as stains on the panels or rafters. Of course, these are just a few of the items to look for. Properly installed sheathing is vital to the roof system and the longevity of its covering. The inspector should be sure to take proper safety precautions when inspecting roof panel sheathing.
My second reading was “Collar Ties vs. Rafter Ties”. The downward force from the weight of, and on, the roof can cause multiple problems. Collar ties assist in keeping the rafters from separating at the ridge. Rafter ties assist in keeping the walls from being pushed outward. Both conventional and truss style rafters can have various issues. An inspector should have a good understanding of how the roof system works to know what signs to look for as potential problems. Recommendations to contact a structural engineer may be necessary depending on the findings.
No flashing was installed at the combustion vents. The roof sealant used to seal the penetrations will fail much sooner than metal flashing and will need to be examined annually and re-applied as needed. Proper vent flashing should be installed by a qualified roofing contractor at the first opportunity.
This is the reading and writing part of the course. I was instructed to pick any two articles and read them, writing briefly about one of them, Is that right?
I chose two articles one all about Rockwool, and its amazing heat resistance, and insulating qualities, The melting point on this all natural stone based product is almost 2000 degrees!
The other article was about bat houses and how to properly construct them. its very beneficial to have bats around a home, since they eat up to 600 insects in an hour!
Well,now Im off to take the final exam!
Roof inspection:
This roof is made up of sheet metal roofing material attached onto plywood roof decking. It is fastened with a combination of roofing screws and lead headed roofing nails. Some of the fasteners, particularly the nails have lifted in some places allowing water intrusion and need to be repaired or replaced.
The gutters and downspouts are in good shape and appear to be functioning properly with the exception of one section where the gutter is absent for half the run. This is dumping large amounts of rainwater onto the roof below it. The velocity of the water is over shooting the trough on the lower roof and saturating the ground below it. This is causing some water intrusion into the basement as a result. This gutter should be replaced as soon as possible to avoid any further erosion or water intrusion.
There is also a chimney that is no longer used and the flashing has failed on it allowing water into the attic space. This chimney should be removed and the roof repaired where it exited. This would correct the leak and correct the problem of a non coded chimney as the chimney is bracketed and only supported by the ceiling joist framing. At the very least the flashing should be corrected as soon as possible to stop water intrusion.
The attic space is not vented and therefore is causing condensation to create a moisture problem. In addition, the lack of ventilation is also causing ice damming at the eves with evidence of water migration there as well.
For this assignment I read an article on aging in place. This was something not considered before in the services that you could provide customers as a home inspector, but it makes perfect sense!
Most of the people I talk with are not if favour of entering a care facility in their declining years. The article gave some very sound advice on planning to stay in your own home and how to prepare for it.
This is definitely one skill set that will be mastered, so that expert advice can be supplied to customers that are interested on aging in place.
I was informed the roof was less than a year old prior to this inspection. One sample image of more than 15 spots on it where the nails had been under and over driven. You can see another raised tab to the back right of the tab being lifted in the pic. Everything was fine and everyone was happy because the warranty still had time and it along with a vent boot were repaired free of charge.
Hi,
Attached is a few picture of trees which are too close to the house.
The trees over hang onto the roof which may lead to premature wear of the shingles.
The branch rubbing back and forth could damage the suface of the building and shingle.
The trees should be trimmed back by a certified arborist.
The build up in gutter from leafs could cause water damage. Blockage in gutter may prevent there intended duty to control water.
Gutters should be check and cleaned as needed.
BATHROOM VENT DUCTS AND FANS;
The most common defect in bathroom fans and ducting is the improper termination of duct work. The Dustin should terminate to the exterior of the home. The most common termination locations are, mid level attic, sometimes under insulation. The fan may appear to be functioning properly from visual inspection within the bathroom, but to properly determine if it is installed correctly and functioning properly the termination must be observed.
Here’s a picture of a manufactured chimney. It has cricket flashing along on the backside which faces a slope. The metal chimney in itself is the step flashing as it is placed under the asphalt shingles. There is no counter flashing. The chimney is over 3 feet high and about 2 feet wide. There is roofing cement placed around the base of the chimney. It appears to be in fairly good condition.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Slate Roofs, Part 1
Slate roofs are something I have yet to have to inspect. I have seen them in some neighborhoods on other homes and from the distance I am there were no visual problems. Knowing more as I go is going to be useful. The fact that the darker bands indicate heavier carbon and possible shorter life span is good to know.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Slate Roofs, Part 2
Asking the seller if the grade of the slate used and looking at online permit info is I will do. The buyer will also be told that if they ever need work done make sure the person they hire has good knowledge and experience with slate roofing. For me most all the homes in my area I do are asphalt with a few terracotta.
I have been reading the study guide for “How to Perform a Roof Inspection”. One of the things I found rather interesting is the ventilation. I have seen several houses that don’t appear to be properly ventilated. The basic ventilation should be 1 square foot per 150 square feet of attic space. I’m not sure if most roofers are aware of this? I usually only see one or two vents for the whole house. I also rarely see gable vents in my area? It must be due to the colder climate or most home owners don’t find them visually appealing. The only appear on older homes.
Roof and first thought and action is safety as in all parts of home
inspection. Your ladder and placement when roof is safe to walk on and pitch is not to great or underlayment to soft. Every step, watch, record take pictures of Flashing, shingle and any thing that penetrates the roofs overall condition for a complete report. Do not forget to observe condition of the chimney. Check height, flashing, cap and liner at the same time. Thanks
I took a photo of a Gable Vent on the side of a home. This home also has soffit vents on the bottom edges of the eaves (where the soffits are, of course). When following the 1 to 150 rule, this is more than adequate in terms of ventilation based upon the square footage of the attic space. Based upon what I’ve learned in this course, I would consider the ventilation to be adequate. I would, however have to climb into the attic to make sure there wasn’t any insulation blocking the soffit or gable vents to be absolutely certain.
Thanks. I hope this satifies the inspection part of the course.
-Jon Elly
Here we are looking at a roof with several problems. A whole bunch of grey interlocking asphalt shingles were blown off in a severe windstorm. Probably due to the fact that they were put on over top of a older layer of shingles that you can clearly see are now rotting. The nail penetration may not have been enough to keep the shingles fastened securely or they may have just been installed poorly. In an attempt to keep water from leaking into the home a different type of asphalt shingle was used and was installed poorly leaving open spaces where water could still penetrate the building. An attempt made by the homeowner no doubt. The proper matching shingles should have been used and installed. The drip edge flashing is in good condition, aside from that the roof is in dire need of repair by a certified roofer.
I read articles on ice dams and the use of thermal imaging to find the heat loss responsible for the ice dam formation. I have ice dams to deal with in/on the townhome we are about to purchase and am trying to assess the situation as be I can, before we go through with the purchase. We have several issues: trees that shade the roof, poor insulation in the roof (vaulted ceiling, with no attic) and no eaves on most of the front of the house. One fix would be to install steel roofing as recommended in one of the articles. Heat tape, which was not recommended, but I had put up in the fall, did not do a darn thing to eliminate the ice damming. It did however create some neat caverns in the ice dams. Although I will likely be terrified by the results of a thermal imaging inspection, I think getting one done is in my best interest. Eventually, I will be able to do that myself, but not quite yet. I am looking forward to the day I build my own home, that way I know it is done right.
Cheers,
Jason