Here is an asphalt roof I inspected. I found several areas with moss (microbial growth) accumulating which will accelerate the decomposition of the shingles keeping moisture locked in place to the roof. This will shorten their expected life span.
From the Library of Inspection articles I chose H-Clips for Inspectors and Inspector Safety: Three-Point Control for Climbing Ladders
Based on the age of some of the homes I have inspected I haven’t yet seen a wide use of H clips But I do note the absence of them on reports
As we all want to give our clients the most thorough of inspections, walking the roof becomes part of this. Its always important to review ladder safety to ensure you’ll be available for the next inspection. Steep pitch roofs I mainly use a camera on an extension pole.
This is an asphalt roof of approximately 10 years in age according to county permit records. The roof shingles appear to be uniform and no cupping or cracks were observed. No unusual colorations were observed and it appears to be a single layer roof.
Article 1: How to clean algae and moss from the roof. The article explains that common bleach applied carefully to the surface and then rinsing with water will clear most organic growth. Do not brush too hard or the granules may be disturbed on the shingles. Copper or zinc caps are a deterrent for future growth.
Article 2: ice dams. These are caused by inadequate attic insulation. One suggestion to avoid ice dams was to have a metal roof whereby snow and ice do not adhere but slide off the surface. Efforts to remove the dams are usually dangerous, and frequently cause damage to the roof and its members.
Attached is a photo of a ridge cap on a home in Florida. There does not appear to be any significant damage, it should be noted on the report to have a licensed professional evaluate further.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Accessing the Roof, Part 1:
Getting on, and walking on roofs is one of the most dangerous tasks a home inspector can face. A number of variables including, weather conditions, condition of the roof, roof pitch, exposure and others should be carefully examined in order to determine whether or not an inspector can walk the roof. Besides having the proper tools necessary, an inspector should use footwear designed for hiking or climbing with a good amount of traction.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Accessing the Roof, Part 2:
This article is a continuation of the article I reported on the previous post and goes over in more detail “exposure” and an alternative to walking a roof. Exposure as it applies to home inspections, simply means the risk, or the additional danger represented by factors such as the height of the roof above the ground, and what you land on if you fall off the roof. If an inspector feels the risk is too great based on exposure and/or the condition of or material a roof is made of, there are alternatives to walking a roof. An inspector can evaluate a roof using binoculars, climb to the top of a ladder and perform a visual inspection from there without getting on the roof, or even use a remote controlled camera mounted on top of a telescopic tripod.
Pictures of an asphalt roof that had two layers of asphalt roofing. the top layer Is an Architectural Shingle" Metric"and was installed by an apparent novice.
The picture of the nail popping through. This badly rusted nail head is located in the midway point of a closed valley the slope of this roof is not steep alot of debris was removed from the valley to see the popped nail where it should never never be. The valley is closed and not well put together.
No nails are ever placed in the valley area… and definitely not in the middle. Walking in the middle of valley should be avoided as well.
Another picture shows how shingles were cut to make ridge shingles using leftover architectural shingles. These ridge and hip shingles are not secured. There is no seal securing them to one another debris is under most. The black spots are hand sealed exposed nail heads on top cap of " homemade ridge". I would recommend this roof to be checked by a licensed contractor and to be repaired or replaced according to the recommendations.
Library Articles read were FHA Loan basics and Mastering roof inspections, Pests.
I did not see it mentioned in the FHA loan basics article. I thought that a roof in
good condition was a requirement this was my reason to stop there. It may well be a detail of the process for qualification. The Information in the article read is a good basic outline for FHA loans. The loan has benefits for the low income first time home buyer.
After reading about pests in the attic, things I am aware of raccoon’s, squirrels, wasps, birds and bats. I know I want a full face respirator for the crawlspace. The diseases that can be infecting a person are not to be laughed at. Rabies information about rabies being contracted without direct contact information is also new to me.
Yes, a full face respirator with particulate filter to eliminate the dangers is a great idea.
This is a picture of an asphalt shingle on a roof. It is chipping and cracked and needs to be replaced.
Mastering Roof Inspections- Asphalt part 1
They are one of the most widely used roofing covers because they have a relatively inexpensive cost and are fairly simple to install. There is an asphalt layer on each side of a mat that gives the shingle strength. It is important for an inspector to explain roof conditions clearly and in a way that will be understood.
Mastering Roof Inspections - Asphalt Part 2
Shingles can be replaced easily if suitable replacement shingles can be found. If a large number of shingles exhibit excessive drying out, loss of protective granules, cracking, then a complete shingle replacement is likely to be required. But it is possible to replace single shingles being careful to not disturb shingles that are in good shape.
This roof was in a hail storm.
It has hail damage in many locations throughout the roof including, the slopes, eaves, rakes, and ridge cap.
The hail damage is not penetrated all the way through but the back side is also split.
The adhesive bond is good on the shingles.
Inspector lifted 2 singles to check bonding as well as the splitting on the backside of the single for hail damage.
Inspector used roofing adhesive caulk to re-adhere the 2 shingles that were lifted.
I recommend having a licensed roofing contractor to come out and inspect it further, as this is a functional defect.
Whittley Cordero
ARTICLE ONE
Ice Dams
by Nick Gromicko
Ice dams form on roof coverings due to loss of heat through the roof when there is snow on the roof top along with freezing temperatures. The snow is heated at the peak and slope of the roof causing the snow to melt. Then the water is transferred to the eaves of the roof line where it is at freezing temperatures and the water re freezes causing an ice dam. This can cause major problems inside the home. Such as rotting roof decking, interior & exterior walls, paint can peel and blister, and insulation can fail.
ARTICLE TWO
Mastering Roof Inspections: Hail Damage, Part 1
by Kenton Shepard and Nick Gromicko
Hail damage is the most expensive cost insurance companies run into. Its roughly a one billion dollar a year cost for homes in USA to repair damages caused by hail storms. Hail is most commonly found from Texas to Minnesota and from Colorado to Illinois. As well as, some parts of Virginia. Hail forms in many different sizes and can sometimes be lethal. When there is a hail storm everyone needs to find shelter inside. In some cases it can penetrate through building materials and glass. Steer clear of areas where it can come through and cause bodily harm.Being able to properly identify hail damage is significant, as some people falsely report hail damage a lot.
Whittley Cordero
An Indiana roof with multiple indications of being at the end of its service life.
This roof has limb damage, aged hail damage and generally being at the end of its service life.
Thanks to Ben and Kenton for a fine course.
Jim Schwarz
Center Grove Real Estate Inspections, LLC
Greenwood, IN
This is a roof picture from an inspection I performed this week.
The picture shows loss of granules at shingles. This was a single layer asphalt shingle type roof covering, that was 20 plus years old.
Most of the shingles were missing granules and had some cracking and blistering.
The ventilation in the attic appeared adequate, and there were no signs of leaking yet. The overall condition of the roof was marginal to poor and appeared to be nearing the end of it useful life.
I advised my client that the roof would need to be replaced soon.
Thanks,
Tommy Findley OK #70001185
The inspecting asphalt shingle roofs course was very informative.
The videos & pictures were also helpful on describing types of asphalt shingles.
I like that the course explained how the asphalt shingles were made and how
conditions cause them to fail.
Thanks,
Tommy Findley OK#70001185
This is a really good course but I think that in a home inspectors normal everyday job he wouldn’t be using this information a lot.
Initial inspection of this roof deemed necessary to utilize the drone due to the moisture buildup on the roof. The drone, equipt with a 4K camera, is invaluable when conditions make walking a roof too dangerous. The roof was in perfect condition apart from being wet.
Article - 1 - Wood Decay - Wood decay has many ways in can destroy a home. It can happen fast such as with particle board or slowly in terms of hardwood material. Usually caused be the elements, insect are also a great catalyst for the onset of wood decay.
Article - 2 - Wind Turbines - Although they are efficient in garnering energy from wind. Usually their size is what is the factor of their use. Wind farms use huge wind turbines to power small cities, while smaller versions are used on farms to power machinery.
Here is a picture of where a house extension’s roof was flashed at the clapboard siding. Note there was no kick-out at the eve. This could allow water to be directed behind the clapboard and damage the siding underlayment, as well as the siding below this point. (It did!) A professional roof installer and possibly carpenter should be consulted as to the proper repair of this area.
Inspection and Writing Assignment
I have inspected the asphalt shingles installed on the roof of my sister’s home. She explained that the shingles were installed 8 years ago but had no packaging or documentation proving characteristics or other criteria needed in identification. She said it was a more expensive, 30 year architectural tile manufactured by Owens-Corning, and installed by a licensed roofing contractor. The roof deck is constructed of 7/16" plywood, per the owner, and is original to the 33 year old stick frame home.
I began my inspection at the eaves of the hipped style roof and immediately noticed the edge of the starter course, and of the first finish course, had been installed flush with the drip edge. I also lifted slightly on the perimeter edge and found the starter tile had been sealed to the drip edge and that the starter course had been sealed to the starter shingle. This had formed a tight seal completely around the roof’s edge, even at the ridge corners. Inspection of the entire roof found all edges of the exposed shingles to be sealed well. The shingles looked new with very little granular loss, even at the edges and cutouts. All flashing observed was in good condition and properly installed; my sister commented that the flashing had all been replaced along with the asphalt shingles.
Because of the flush mounted shingles over the drip edge, I carefully inspected the eave’s facia and soffit, looking for signs of water stains, decay of rotted boards or bubbling/peeling paint, and found none. I explained to the owner that there should be a 1/2" to 3/4" overhang of the shingle past the drip edge because water can seep back under the shingle, getting behind the drip edge and then gravitating down over the facia and on to the soffit, where water damage would occur, even possible microbial growth.
Because of the overall condition of the shingles, properly installed flashing,and the tightly sealed perimeter edge of the entire perimeter, I would pass this roof for inspection. But, I would put in writing to maintain a close watch for signs of leaking and water damage of the eave’s components and paint.
Doyle Cline