Lights in Closets…
I notice all the time while doing inspection that the lights in the closet are not correct and pose a fire hazard risk because they are uncovered or to close to where clothing is stored or just the wrong type of light. Its an easy item to over look.
This photo is of hail damaged shingles. Some of the damaged areas are dented in, and missing granules, while other areas are slightly dented. These shingles are now prematurely at the end of its useful life. These damages will lead to early deterioration, and possible water infiltration, which can cause further damage to the structure.
I read the article on AFCI testers. It was interesting to learn that the indicator creates waveforms which are not true arcs. The actual test button on an AFCI outlet, causes a true arc. The indicator is not always reliable, and should never fully replace the actual test button on the outlet. Testing both ways is recommended.
This turtle vent for the range hood was reused from the old roof covering replacement. Demonstrated significant damage but no leaks work observed. Recommend replacement by a qualified professional
I read the article about recommending inspectors for roof jobs. It also guided clients on how to get a good roofer.
Good Afternoon, during a recent inspection this break in the caulk was noted under a window. The interesting part was not so much the seal problem but there was an ant trail in the valley of the roof. they we moving back and forth from the eaves to the left and heading to the chimney flashing on the right. I took pictures for the homeowner and alerted them to the potential problem before the inspection was completed.
So appropriately I chose an article on ant inspection and what to look for, because of what I found and noted on my last post. While on the roof I took extra time to note the points of possible entry into the structure and point them out to the Homeowner. They explained they had a problem with ants in the enclosed porch below and it had been treated by their exterminator. It is possible that they have found another way out.
The roof on this home was covered with these small defects on the shingles. At first glance it thought it might be hail damage. After further examination I noted the damage on 100% of the roof. This leads me to believe the damage is a manufacturing defect.
I read an article on roof underlayment. It struck me as odd that products with little or no minimum standard can be installed. One why would it be allowed to be installed per code. Two, why would a contractor risk loss for a few dollars. Interestingly the article noted that organic felt would likely be phased out in 2014 an here we are in 2016 and it is still used quite heavily. Maybe because the price of oil has dropped dramatically. Good article, I am better informed for reading it. Thanks.
The photo I have taken is my son’s house that has had a complete removal and replacement of the roofing shingles. The gutters and downspouts are in good condition and did not have to be replaced. What was added was the extension on the downspout preventing the water from draining next to the foundation that could cause future problems, works great.
In this picture there is a downspout extension that is missing on the side of a house I inspected the other day. I live in Michigan and they estimate an average of 10,000 gallons of water fall on Michigan roofs each years. That is a lot of water to be dumping right next to the foundation. I recommended that an extension be added to divert the water away from the home. The problem here is there is a walkway that the extension would run on then causing a trip hazard. The best way I know of to route downspouts away from the house is to bury them 10-20 feet away. 
My wife was hitting every garage and barn sale in town one Saturday afternoon when she stumbled onto a bat house she found. I’d been talking about building one for our backyard, so she thought she would spare me the trouble of building it. I had to take the whole house apart and seal each seam with caulk and painted the exterior. After completion I was wondering where to put it in our backyard that would get the most sun. I found out later after installing the bat house in a tree is improper, I set it roughly 10 feet high, and I painted the interior, not knowing, OUCH! Guess I’m back to the drawing board.
This picture is of ashfelt shingles roofing. Roof is in very good condition. There is not any sign of damage found on this roof.
After completing this course now I understand how to inspect roof of hail damage house. And I get more clear picture of what is proper method of installing roof. First thing is safety of workers.
Hi,
Years ago in Milton Florida we had a hail storm that dumped 2" hail on the tops of our houses. You can see in the pics some of the dents along the metal ridge cap and some damage to the top corner that was patched over the years. The laminated shingles are still in fairly good condition .
Hi,
When performing a wind and hail inspection you should see widespread damage to roof caps, penetrations and near roof edges. You will also see damage to gutters. downspouts, window frames and flashing. Some outdoor sheds or garbage cans will show damage. In the pics below you see intentional damage caused to a roof to look like hail damage. Intentional damage will show up as a pattern and usually not near the edges of a roof where a person is afraid of falling. The impressions will look different and many times the stones will be crushed and not simply embeded into the mat.
These images are of a gutter system on a home I inspected. Although the home has a gutter system in place, there are a couple of issues with it.
First of all there are seams in the gutter systems that are not sealed and are leaking. In the areas where the leaks were located it was observed the water was damaging the Mortar in the steps leading to the home. This could lead the brick becoming loose and dislodging creating a trip and fall hazard. It is also allowing water to enter the crawl space of the home, which could lead to damage of the foundation and or moister intrusion allowing Biological growth to form.
Secondly, there were no down spout extension on the home. Unfortunately I observe this frequently on many homes I have inspected. Most home owners do not like either the look or the inconvenience of the extensions when it comes time to cut their lawns.
The problem with this thinking is the home owner doesn’t realize the damage it may lead to. I have inspected homes were these condition have caused the supporting foundation masonry to erode to the point that the home was no longer supported in these locations, and again it in most of these locations there was biological growth and moister trapped under the home.
I always recommend to the home owner to contact a licensed and insured Gutter installer to make these corrections to prevent more serious and costly damage in the future. I suggest installing either a French drain system if the grade allows or tell them the installer can make an extension that will fold up and out of the way to do their lawns work.
To conclude it is important to inform the owners of the home to the ramification of not having a properly installed and functioning Gutter system on a home. It’s amazing how something so, insignificant in a most home owners eyes, can cause such a verity of damaging and expensive repairs if it is not functioning correctly.
New homes going up in sub-division, a great opportunity to look around and see whats going on. I see the sheathing is in place and the underlayment is partly laid. No workers up top yet, I was hoping to see if some fall protection would be utilized. There is plenty of scaffolding on site but doesn’t protect the workers if their up on top.
Research article- “Mastering Roof Inspections: Flashing, Part 6” I’m glad I read this article because I was under the impression that drip edge flashing was required and not having them installed is a defect. However, the article clarified that it is not required. This thought came to mind when I posted my picture from a new home development site (previous assignment) I did not see drip edge flashing at the eave. Good to know!
For the short essay writing assignment in the Wind & Hail Inspection and Roof Replacement course I took a picture of a roof and its vent components. The picture provided shows the roof vents, sometimes referred to as turtle vents or box vents and the shingles on the ridge of the roof. The condition of the asphalt shingles and also the roof vents is good with no indication of dented vents and no damage from hail in a 10’x10’ inspection zone. There is only minor visible impact to shingles at the ridge which is a soft spot and considered to be a good place to look for damage.
