Article; Mastering Roof Inspections: Attic area roof inspections. Roofers may do a good job on the outside or topside but sometimes fall short of ensuring its a complete job and the home was put back together the way it was intended to be. The underside of the roof can hide many deficiencies since its the least visited area, these deficiencies can go on for a long time before being noticed or corrected. Taking your time in the attic area can help identify many of these deficiencies for your client.
The article, “Green Roof Inspection” - by Nick Gromicko provides information regarding green (or living) roofs. Green roofs are typically either intensive, meaning intensive work to maintain, and extensive, not as intensive to maintain. Green roofs can provide a lot of energy savings as well as reducing pollution due to runoff. However, with a high upfront costs, including possible structural work to brace for the extra weight, green roofs are not for everyone. Recommend a consultation with a licensed professional if a green roof is of interest.
For my essay I chose to take a picture of the roofing component of this home. The roofing is a new installation comprised of architectural comp material with manufactured comp ridge caps. The overhang of the material is about 3/8 of an inch over the drip edge and no exposed fasteners were visible. All the runs appear to be staggered properly.
The gutter sections in the front of the house are not joined together. The gutters should be joined together and sealed. Another section of the gutter is sagging and pulling away from the fascia. The fasteners appear to be deteriorated and spaced too far apart to provide adequate support.
Ground-Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs). I was surprised to learn that initially it wasn’t until the 1970’s that bathrooms and outdoor receptacles were required to have GFCI’s. I was even more surprised to learn that it took until the 1980’s/1990’s to include indoor pools/spas and wetbars. Additionally, I did not know that it was recommended that a GFCI receptacle be tested once a month.
Pictured are exposed roofing nails. While exposed roofing nails are often unavoidable during installation, they need to be minimized and properly sealed when done. The problem that occurs when they are not sealed is that the nail heads begin to rust and shrink while the hole stays the same size. This creates a potential moisture point of intrusion.
I chose to write about the different types of chimney flashing displayed in the gallery image titled “expanded counter flashing.” Displayed in the picture is a diagram detailing the proper placement of the asphalt shingles in relation to the counter flashing and the step flashing. The step flashing is installed first, the asphalt shingle overlaps the step flashing, and the counter flashing overlaps the step flashing.
The roof coverings at this building in Cleveland, Ohio consist of a fully adhered, single-ply ethylene propylene diene monomer (EPDM) membrane. Isolated areas of patching were noted; however, no roof leaks were observed or reported. Based on estimated useful life, replacement of the flat roof membranes is anticipated in approximately 10 years.
EPDM is produced by a multitude of companies, and it ordinarily ranges in thicknesses from 45 mils to 60 mils. Larger sheets of EPDM are an advantage since the roof will have fewer seams resulting in a lower likelihood of roof leaks. Spots for leaks and water intrusion to occur typically include penetrations, roof edges and junctions, such as headwalls and sidewalls. For mechanically attached systems, fastener penetrations are also potential leakage points.
For my essay, I chose the image “Roof Framing Definitions”. This image helped explain a lot to me about different roof framing systems. This definition explains more about stick built roof construction and how to properly identify their components and proper implementation of the different components. It also helps you spot problems easier because in my belief, it is harder to spot problems with these systems rather than truss systems.
This house was covered with a metal roof. As you can see, there was some damage where a tree limb had fell on the roof. The damage also has affected the gutter drainage at the downspout. This could lead to weather damage under the roof covering.
Between 1980 and 2006 there were 33 deaths caused by free standing ranges tipping over. This prompted UL to adopt stricter standards for manufacturing of free standing ranges. These ranges should have anti tip devices installed on them to prevent tip over.
Flashing ; No flashing present behind Fascia board ,water run off onto to building wall, no gutters to prevent water damage, water stains and mold like substance noted . When tested the fascia board tested wet at time of inspection . Fascia board needs replacing
Gutters : Gutters and down spouts are very important to keep all water away from and around a buildings foundation to prevent water intrusion .Water can cause a lot of damage to a foundation , siding and deterioration to the soil. To prevent water intrusion install gutters down spouts around the perimeter of the house.
The connection between the downspout and the gutter and into the water diverter is adequate. No evidence of leaks and or cloggs appear anywhere. Also, there’s no evidence of damage either. The downspout termination is properly directing water away from the foundation down slope into a rain garden that’s at least five feet away from the home foundation.
I read the article titled “Cisterns” by Nick Gromicko. I learned some of the common purposes for cisterns such as drinking water, washing cars, irrigation, fire-suppression, etc. Cisterns can be filled with well water, utility water, and even by catching rainwater as it runs off of the roof and down the gutter system. If using cisterns for potable water solutions, cistern maintenance is much more important.
Article: Mastering Roof Inspections, Part 1. Even though it is not required to get on a roof, some inspectors (like me) believe you can see more detail and provide a better product to your customers. Prior to getting on the roof, inspectors should first look at the type of covering is on the roof, the pitch, weather conditions, and anything that could create a hazardous situation.
there are a few things wrong here, first of all its missing its spark arrestor,(keeps sparks off roof) secondly its missing a cricket( a way for the water to divert around the chimney, and its also missing its apron flashing(way to prevent water infiltrations, theres also signs of patchwork/ roof repairs.
This roof has multiple intersections with other objects on it. It is a newer to new architectural asphalt covering material. The roof looks properly flashed around the chimney and valley. There is a proper boot around the attic ventilation stack. The ridge has the appropriate cap to shed water away.
This is a porch roof that attaches to the front of the house. The wood siding is deteriorating and has been painted. There needs to be some side wall flashing here so that the water coming off the roof is not running onto the siding or behind the siding, which appears to be happening here. This is a defect.
