Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a crawlspace with ductwork inside it. The insulation is not installed propeerly. It is hanging down from the floor joists. The ductwork seal itself is coming apart in certain areas. This needs to be resealed with mastic for leaks. There are defects here which need to be further evaluated by a professional. This will help with indoor air quality issues, furnace performance and ventilation as well as insulation issues.
Research & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a crawlspace with ductwork inside it. The insulation is not installed propeerly. It is hanging down from the floor joists. The ductwork seal itself is coming apart in certain areas. This needs to be resealed with mastic for leaks. There are defects here which need to be further evaluated by a professional. This will help with indoor air quality issues, furnace performance and ventilation as well as insulation issues.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Asphalt shingle’s. This asphalt roof has two layers of shingles and is past its life expectancy. There are torn shingles. Coping shingles, and loss of materials . This roof is a defect and needs to be looked at by a professional.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When inspecting a roof I will look at it from a far and close up. When inspecting from a far I am looking for missing or damaged shingles, and possible water damage. Also looking for debris build up in valleys and along the gutters.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The shingle had a poor adhesive bond. This appears to have resulted from a steep sloped roof. It seems as though wind got underneath the shingle due to the lack of bond and caused the shingle to fail. I would recommend further evaluation by a licensed roofer.
Research & Writing Assignment:
I learned that hail damages the shingle from the bottom up by stretching the bottom of the shingle. This sometimes results in the shingle tearing in the middle and embedding the granules in the shingle. These marks will be random in shape and placing on the roof due to shape of the hail.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Shingles appear to be the Atlas Chalet type, that are manufactured with more material applied on some parts of the mats to make them thicker, giving them an architectural shingle appearance. These were made from the mid 1990’s to 2010, and these are currently involved in litigation against the manufacturer because of pre-mature wear on the thicker parts of the shingles. Shingles can develope a “mump-like” appearance on the thicker parts, and these blisters often will crack and split.
Research & Writing Assignment:
One of the ways the effectiveness of insulation is measured is by its R-value. R-value is the measurement of a specific materials thermal resistance. In order for the material’s R-value to apply, it must be installed correctly per the manufacturer’s instructions.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The roof in this picture has asphalt shingles installed as the roofing covering. The valley is covered in a closed cut fashion, and they cut right of the center edge, which is correctly on the larger roof plane. This should be diverting water from the larger plane. Although it seems some water has possibly created some moisture accumulation underneath the gutter at the bottom of the valley, as the darker shade of shingle may indicate.
Research & Writing Assignment:
The beginning of the roof inspection starts on the ground, this is a good way to prepare for identifying the cause of any granule loss found in the gutters above, if there is shingles or pieces found below. Also observing the roof casually will give a good indication if the granule loss is quite noticeable. If not but granule loss is found in the gutters, it is possible it is a new roof and these are just hitchhikers. Many issues with granule loss being functional damage are very obvious without close scrutiny.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
Inspecting this roof at the eave and rake showed two layers of asphalt shingles. Some of the shingles at the edging were bowed upward and not sufficiently extended over the gutter line. There was some discoloration between of the shingles vertically which appeared to be caused by algae.
Research & Writing Assignment:
It is an enlightening concept that your client should thank you for breaking something during the inspection process. If the result of finding a defect means you turned on a component and the switch or valve broke, or while walking on a deck or roof caused you to put your foot through it, it is a positive in that it happened during the inspection and not after your report (not finding the defect) and the client and their family moving in and finding it.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
While inspecting the roof we found that a majority of the shingles had not be properly bonded. Because the4 tab is lift it could lead to creasing or tearing. We recommend that a licensed roof reevaluate and repair the roof.
Research & Writing Assignment:
Moister can effect the lifespan of asphalt shingles in many different ways. Moister in the form of ran can loosen or remove granules. The moister could become trapped between the underlayment and the sub-straight cause decay. Moister in the form of a solid such as ice daming could lead to water backing up under the shingles.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
This is an image of a top down view of a roof, the image shows damage that is not caused by hail but instead caused intentionally. Hail damage is random and does not have a pattern or grouped as the picture shows, when observing the roof, it is important to distinguish between damage that is intentional and damage that was in fact caused by hail.
Research & Writing Assignment:
When inspecting a ventless fireplace it is important to look for certain defects that can be found with these types of fireplaces. Gas leaks or plugged burner ports are two of several problems that should be looked for. Also, a cracked burner and finally the inspector should observe the fireplace and document if it is oversized for the area that it is in.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
The picture shows a portion of a composite asphalt roof. The Roof has debris distributed across it. Recommend that this debris be removed as soon as possible as it mechanically damages shingles and holds moisture which can further damage tiles. There is a vent with a damaged boot and damaged shingles around it. Recommend that a roofing professional inspect and repair. There is some wind damage where a tile has creased and torn off a tab. The entire roof shows uniform aging, deformation and granule loss. A significant number of shingles have lost their corners due to brittleness. This roof is at or is nearing the end of its lifespan and should be evaluated for repair and or replacement by a roofing professional.
Research & Writing Assignment:
IR Cameras: Inspecting Roofs
by Nick Gromicko and Ethan Ward
Infrared (IR) thermography is being used more and more within the industry. It is a fast and accurate way to find moisture intrusion on a roof. Though there are many factors that can affect the camera and make interpretation of the IR photos difficult. The pictures can point to possible trouble areas before they become serious and verification by other methods can be accomplished (such as the use of a moisture meter). Proper planning and preparation by the inspector will make the inspection more accurate and successful.
Inspection & Writing Assignment:
my essay today is on construction in other parts of the world compared to ours, on a recent trip down a canal in China I came across this 100 year old home on the water, I understand the meaning of construction standards now.
Research & Writing Assignment:
my essay today is on attic ventilation, living in Florida makes the temperature in my attic extremly hot,I installed an exhaust fan controlled by a temperature sensor and now the air conditioner doesn’t run as hard and it’s at least 20 degrees cooler up there.
