The roof material is metal and is attached with screws with rubber washers. Some screws are sticking up and appear to be loose. A qualified roofer is recommended for further evaluation.
Articl-Advantages of Solar Power
Solar power can replace energy needs throughout the world while using a fraction of the energy wasted back into the atmospher from the sun. Solar energy can benefit those living in remote areas, consumers that experience periodic blackouts, and those losing sleep over the carbon feet prints we are tracking. Solar setup can have high upfront cost but that cost can be expected to be offset in a short period of time and with government incentives. Apparently if you are able, it's time to go solar.I chose a roof that looked like it had had recent repairs done. The roof had 3-tab asphalt shingles and they looked to be in decent shape. The old shingles had some discoloration and should be looked at to make sure more of them shouldn’t be replaced. I pulled up some of the old shingles and some of the new ones and they had underlayment and the sheeting looked good underneath too. There was a drip edge installed but no existing gutters to divert water away from the house.
Step flashing installed without counter flashing on the sidewall of a brick chimney. This installation is incorrect because it is missing the neccesary counter flashing required. It is relying on a sealant, in this case mastic to protect the step flashing from water intrusion. The chimney mastic is old, brittle, deterorating and in danger of failing. Correction and further evaluation is reccomended.
I just read The Rodent Inspection article in The Library of Inspection articles. I recently finished some roof and attic repairs in a home that were caused by rodents. They gained access through damage on the top of the roof caused by overhanging trees causing damage and leaving open access. I was very unaware of the dangers that rats and mice carry and how many diseases they can pass on. I didn’t realize how dangerous they were even through indirect contact with them. I closed up all the damaged areas and trimmed the low hanging branches to prevent future access. After reading the article I realized I need to have more safety items such as gloves and respirators if I am going to be exposed to more rodents in attic spaces.
This inspection drawing illustrates one way in which loads from a second floor joist system can be transfered to a foundation. The second floor joists are carried by the first floor wall / studs and header to the first floor joist system. In turn the first floor joists are carried by a beam, foundation wall and jack post to the footings. It is important to note that the studs and joists stack one above the other from floor to floor, this is important because it transfers the weight from one floor to the next through each set of framing components. A critical area of load that is often missed is the point load on the interior side of the first floor wall opening. If you look close you can see blocking in the floor above the beam in the basement. These are called squash blocks (or point load blocks) and carry the load from the second floor, and the header on the first floor to the beam in the basement. Without this added blocking the weight of the second floor framing and first floor arch would be carried by only the first floor decking. Often times in older homes you will see either side of an arch on the main floor with a huge dip in this area. The reason? Loads not properly transferred through framing members to the foundation.
Chimney Writing Assignment
I have attached a photo of the chimney on my house. It is a brick and mortar chimney with 2 protruding terra cotta flues. One flue vents our gas fireplace insert and the other vents our gas furnace. There are obvious signs or repair on the mortar joints and on the chimney crown, but both seem functional at this time. Both flues have adequate rain caps. The flashing on the chimney to roof joint on all sides has ben smeared with sealant, indicating prior issues. The flashing likely needs to be redone properly. And yes, there is an abundance of moss on the roof. I need to take care of that. 
Research Exercise
The image I chose to write about shows the function of a soffit and ridge venting system. An unvented, unconditioned attic space can lead to serious heat and moisture issues. The installation of soffit and ridge venting allows for an efficient intake of fresh air at the eaves as well as the release of hot/moist attic air at the roof’s peak. Releasing this heat and moisture can help prolong the lifespan of the roofing material, fasteners and decking, as well as avoid condensation issues in the attic space that may lead to mold and/or wood deterioration. It is important to verify that the soffit vents are unobstructed by building materials or insulation within the eaves and attic to ensure proper airflow.
The roof I inspected was on a house being built down the street from where I live. I chose this because it is the only metal roof I have seen in the area. I was sure to check out the underlayment as well as the flashings as they were visible during the construction phase. Everything appeared to be done correctly from my vantage point on the hill behind the house as I did not have permission to climb the scaffolding around the house. The attic also appears to be properly vented with soffit and ridge venting. This course has been extremely informative as I was walking to take the pictures I noticed other structural items on other roofs that I hadn’t noticed much before, like the open valley flashings, step flashings, and the kick out flashings on my own building.
The article I read for my essay was Roof and Drainage System Maintenance and Replacement
by Michael Chotiner
The article was well written and was basically about how to determine if you need a new roof vs repairing it as well. The article also covered the repair or replacement of the gutter and down spouts. There was some points I hadn’t thought about in regards to roof replacement such as roof warranty. Also perhaps changing the size of the downspouts might correct a problem as the original ones were too small.
If I am able I will get on every roof that I can safely.Here in the Houston area some roofs are just too step.That’s where I can check from the eves with binos.
Roof inspection.
Hail storms are one of the major causes of roof damage.I had to have mine replaced in January of 2016.We were out of town at the time it happened.My friend told me when I got home and sure enough I got on my roof and seen the damage first hand.It was so blad it punched all the to the underlayment.
This is a picture of a roof. As you can see there is debris gathering in the valley. This is from trees overhead. This is a hazard because the debris can hold in moisture. You can also see that there is moss growing in the asphalt shingles, this could point to sings of roof venting problems. There is also damage to the gutters and the covers to prevent debris from getting in to the gutters. I would recommend the client have a roofing professional replace the roof.
For my Essay I read the article on Roof Styles. There are many types of roof styles. Gable, Hip, Shed, and Dormer are a few that are in my area. By far the most popular is a mix of Gable and Hip roofs. They have some similarities in build and weak points. The more valleys in a roof, the more potential moisture intrusion points there are. However, properly sloped and flashed can mitigate these problems. As a Home Inspector it is important to know the different styles and their weak points.
The roof pictured is composed of asphalt shingles. The roof coverings are very deteriorated and need replacement. The sheathing below is likely damaged from water penetration and will need to be assessed and repaired by a licensed roofer.
I read the article “roof and drainage system maintenance and replacement” for my research assignment. The article mentioned that gutters were often seen sagging. It mentioned that gutter screws may hold better than gutter spikes. So far as a home inspector, I have seen many sagging gutters so recommending a better fastener may be a good solution for my customers.
Inspected chimney and chimney crown. Crown has been recently tarred and additional layers of sealant applied. Grout has been sealed in areas along all sides to seal off holes in the grout. Flashing apron is properly flashed with apron flashing and counter flashing but installer used nails to fasten part of flashing to the top of asphalt singles. sealant applied to tops of nails appears old and likely to leak.[ATTACH]
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Research Project: Damage caused by excessive load on cantilevers
I researched your InterNachi images and located a drawing depicting the effects of too much load on cantilevers. I have been noticing that the brick veneer on our home is bowing over a breezeway cantilever . Apparently the bottoms of the posts securing the breezeway have rotted on the bottom over time and more and more load has been applied to the joists causing the joists to lift and tilt the wall outward.
Corrective action would likely involve jacking the breezeway up to its intended height and replacing the support columns underneath.
This image shows an area of a three tab shingled steep slope roof. Functional damage exists as indicated by the two torn singles. The surrounding shingles retain a majority of their granulation and are well adhered. Recommend replacement of the torn shingles.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, for every $100 of homeowner premiums collected by the insurance industry, 30% goes to paying for wind and hail damage. This is more than the combined total for fire and water damage. Hail damage can occur anywhere the conditions are right, the most hail damage in the U.S. is in the midwest.