This is a photo of a complex area first I’ll look for grains of rock that flows throw the valley. Wheres a shadow on the left of the photo is a second story so I’ll be focusing my attention on the middle or left. I want to show the pitch and the trouble of the two gets the inspection. I take out my chalk measure 10 foot by 10 foot and start on the bottom.
I did my subject on roof and drainage system maintenance and replacement
What the home owner should know about gutters and down spouts. The goal is to have the flow of water pass through the gutter system away from your home away from foundation in a easy fashion. Over time it’s gets worn out, starts to sag and down spouts gets moved around by strong winds or pulling it off to cut the grass and forgetting to put it back on. Start first on repairs top to bottom support system is strong attached to house and free from leafs. You want a good water flow and not levels out, you want a pitch to the down spout and for the hole big and Large enough for water to flow down 5 foot away.
Here is a picture from last Saturday mornings inspection. The picture shows possible wind damage with one shingle tab folded back and broken.
When inspecting a roof for wind damage it is recommended to start by inspecting all side of the structure and roof from the ground first. Once on the roof you are looking for any loose, raised or moved shingles. Shingles that are not properly bonded or nailed are more prone to wind damage.
In this picture you will see the basic characteristics of hail damage. A typical hail spot will have whats called a halo effect. The granules in the middle of the impact will be embedded in the shingle, but not crushed. Thus the granules around the outside of the impact will chip away creating a circle around the perimeter of the impact.
When doing a hail inspection one of the first things you should do is determine the direction of where the hail is coming from. To do this, you can walk around the perimeter of the home and look at gutter downspouts, window screens, dents in the gutters etc… One the reasons to do this is to determine if maybe some of the damage on the roof is intentional damage. If you have damage on parts of the roof that does not match where the other hail spots were coming from, you might want to take a closer look.
These shingles have some substantial damage. It looks like all of the areas that have been damaged by impact appear to have been caused by hail damage. The granules are embedded into the impacted areas rather than being scratched away or missing.
Mastering Roof Inspections: Wind Damage, Part 6
Some of the main things to look for to determine whether or not there has been any wind damage on a roof are exposed fasteners, debris that has fallen off of the roof (including damaged shingles laying around the perimeter of the property) and evidence of improper staple installation on shingles.
My picture shows a roof valley that has no damage. The laminate shingles are of fiberglass construction and the home owner chose a closed valley design for this roof. Some roof granules were found in the gutter system upon closer inspection, but was determined to be normal wear and tear. The 30 year shingles were estimated to be approximately 6 to 7 years old.
The article I chose to write on is, Moisture Intrusion. The article reviewed several ways moisture can enter a home, and ways to prevent intrusion. I learned that the best way to prevent moisture intrusion is to minimize the paths for moisture to enter. Some ways are to consolidate vent pipes below the roof line and just have one protrude through the roof, also the use of high efficient appliances will allow venting through the side wall.
Here is a picture of an indentation on a downspout. The indentation was not caused by hail for a number of reasons. The home is located on a golf course for one. The angle of the impact suggests. That is was a sideways impact and the tee box is located in the direction of the impact. The indentation is also the same shape and size of a golf ball.
I chose barbecue safety, since the 4th of July is right around the corner. Always close the propane tank when not in use and before turning of the grill controls. This will release and propane that maybe in the lines. No more than 2 20pound propane tanks are allowed at any single family dwelling.
My photo is of a modified bitumen roof that is blistering. The blistering can occur due to debris that is trapped under the layer of bitumen or even moisture that was trapped under the layers and has transformed to a gaseous state.
In the article about inspecting aluminum wiring I learned that the wiring was used in place of copper due to the rising copper prices. The aluminum wiring was not able to withstand the conditions that the copper wiring could and was determined to be a poor substitute.
On this roof, widespread hail damage was observed on the entire roof surface. The heaviest damage was on the south roof slope and was caused from approximately 3/4 to 1 diameter hail. Recommend having the home owner file an insurance claim and have the roof replaced by a qualified roofer.
Receptacle Inspection:
During the inspection of receptacles, I not only check for proper grounding, polarity and condition, but for loose receptacles as well. Loose receptacles lead to loose wires and then we have a potential arc/spark/fire hazard. Better to spend a few minutes to make sure they’re all secure than to have a looming fire hazard in your home.
Hail damage: A Hail and Wind damage Inspector must utilize as close as to a ten (10) foot by a ten (10) foot test square area of a roof to examine, document, and report the extent of damage to roof material, structures, and components. Hail and Wind inspectors should circle all damaged areas with chalk and photograph all damaged materials and or components.
There are two types of wind and or hail damage to roof materials and components; functional and cosmetic. There are various characteristics of storm damage that indicate functional damage to various roof coverings; inclusive of damage that is fraudulent in nature by the homeowner. Inspectors must use forensic methods and research materials to professionally mitigate fraud risk and functional damage based upon findings.
There are two types of damage from hail at roof covering; there are functional and cosmetic. There are two types of mechanical damage one is intentional and the other is unintentional. Hail effects all types of shingles in some way all in different ways.
There are four aspects to hail that are important to consider when evaluating hail damage, including size, shape, hardness, and fall pattern. A 10 feet x 10 feet square is used in a hail damage evaluation of a roof surface. Hail will not cause scratches in he paint on metal components. Hail is not a problem in all four corners of the country.