Downspouts at each corner of the roof and clear of debris. Downspouts are sized 3 inch by 4 1/4 inch. Fastened securely to home. Downspout extends five feet away from home where grade of ground carries the water away from the foundation.
The article, “Roofing Underlayment Types” coveys that there are three basic types of underlayment, asphalt-saturated, rubberized asphalt and synthetic.
Asphalt-saturated felt is not waterproof and is available in 15- and 30lb varieties.
Rubberized asphalt underlayments typically have an adhesive on one side. The self-adhering membranes are also self-sealing around nails and staples.
Synthetic underlayments are made from polypropylene or polyethylene. They are lighter and more resistant to UV damage and fungal growth. Synthetic underlayments are also typically non-skid.
Before using synthetic underlayments, it should be confirmed that the underlayment meets building codes and is compatible with the roof covering.
Doing damage during an inspection: You have actually identified a defect that your client would have experienced themselves had you not inspected it. It is not your responsibility to repair it. Example: the valve handle breaks off when you turn the water spigot on, you just identified a defect.
Rubberized asphalt underlayment comes with a “selvedge edge” along one side of the roll. The selvedge edge should always be along the top edge when the underlayment is installed in courses across a roof. The selvedge edge is designed to create a watertight seal along the edges where rolls overlap.
This picture is of a down spout,it is used to carry water from the gutters to ground level and away from the structure.When inspecting the gutter system you need to look for fastening points and overall condition of the gutter system.You would write up and take pictures of any problem found
My writing assignment is on crawl space inspection.When inspecting the crawl space area you need to look at the seal plate and see that there is a seal plate gasket normal 6-mill plastic.This is done so that the wood doesnt come in contact with moister that could rot the seal plate.
While inspecting the roof, I’m expecting the type of material. I’ll determine an age of the material. I’m looking for any defects in the material itself as well as the installation of the material. While walking on the roof I’ll be checking for soft spots. I’ll inspect the flashing and penetrations and call out any defects and relay that information to my client.
Looking thru the library I chose roof penetrations. The first thing I inspect is the material of the pipe. The next step is expecting for any cracks, or defects that could possibly allow water intrusion to occur. I’m also looking at the height of the pipe and make sure it is not to small.
I decided to research unvented roof systems. The article I chose to read was Unvented Roof Assemblies, by Nick Gromicko. The unvented attic or roof is something I’m quite interested in for efficiency and to reduce the possibility for moisture issues resulting from extremely high attic temperatures meeting cooling temperatures on the ceiling of an air conditioned space below. To do this properly you must have an air tight seal on the building, a vapor barrier, and then apply spray foam insulation to the underside of the roof system. This would be the rafters and underside of the sheathing. The building also needs to be pressurized. The benefits of doing this are preventing unwanted air exchange, protect against moisture issues, conserve energy, and reduce openings into the home. However, there are some considering factors as well. You need to consider if the local code officials will approve. It warmer temperatures it could cause premature failure of asphalt shingles because of overheating. In areas with a lot of snow fall it could causing more ice daming of the roof. Unfortunately at this point there has not been enough data collected on unvented roof assemblies to confirm or disprove this as a good practice.
The fresh air intake of a manufactured chimney is shown in the attached photo. The rain covering was damaged, possibly by a recent wind storm and will need to be replaced to prevent water intrusion.
It is recommended that a qualified professional complete the repair which will include cutting and reapplying stucco to cover the flashing.
Fresh air intake is necessary to provide the fireplace with sufficient air to maintain a good burning fire.
In the picture you will see a skylight that has the proper apron flashing.
The step is also properly installed if one looks close. The counter flashing can also be construed as being proper thought it looks to be part of the cover of the skylight. Looks like this is properly installed and flashed.
Kitchen Exhaust Fans. There are several types of these type of fans and they should be located directly above the stove. The best kind of kitchen exhaust fan should be ducted through the roof to the outside of the house. No ducts or vents should terminate in the attic. ductless fans recycle the air back into the kitchen with the air passing through a charcoal type filter relying on it to remove the fumes.
Some homeowners install carpet in bathrooms to reduce the risk of slipping on wet floor and for aesthetic reasons.
Carpets can trap moisture from steam as well as splashes from showers, sinks and toilet leaks. The moisture can lead to mold and bacteria growth which can result in health and odor problems especially when urine is involved.
Care should be taken to clean bathroom carpet regularly and install extractor fan with humidity sensor to help reduce the moisture level.
Code requirements prevents carpet in commercial bathrooms.
The roofing system drainage is compromised because of the the downspouts that drains next to the house walls. Water is wicked up into the walls causing the bricks and the concrete to deteriorate. The soil is a heavy clay type that makes the drying out of the soil worse.
I found there is leakages in the house especially when it is raining for more than one day, so it does not leak immediately. On inspection of the roof I found that the grade is 2/12 which is not bad but because of the long span the rafters in a section of the roof sagged that cause the water to dam on the roof just high enough so that the water rises over the IBR metal sheet and leaked into the roof I requested that the roof design be inspected by an Engineer.
The attached photo of a soffit is showing signs of coming unattached. This could cause major issues if it is not installed. Wind driven snow and rain could get into the attic which could lead to moisture problems. It also keeps insects and animals out.
Shingles are displaced and exposed nails exist above the stained area of the roof sheathing. A moisture reading concluded that the affected area has a “High” moisture reading. If left unattended, further moisture will saturate the sheathing causing wood rot and leakage onto the ceiling below. A qualified roofing contractor is recommend to repair the affected area.
Counter flashing and step flashing are vital components when used on a roof system to ensure leakage will not occur at the jointing of the roof and side wall of the structure or chimney. If on a chimney, the counter flashing should cut into the brick and sealed to prevent water from intruding behind the flashing.
A roof with no gutter attached to it. The climate is desert with a low yearly rainfall probability. However, it has been known to rain and when it does, it can be very hard. Installing a gutter system could help divert the water away from the foundation and prevent a washout around the slab area. You should consider making a recommendation to install a gutter whenever possible as a best practice. Additionally, provide maintenance tips of gutters systems when they are installed.
In this image, the downspout of the gutter system can be seen. It is clearly detached from the gutters preventing the gutter system from doing its job. Moisture intrusion to the foundation below can cause issues in the future. Rust on the downspout identifies the gutters as steel. Recommend fixing to prevent further damage to both foundation and gutters.
