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roofing: English Thatch---or start from scratch. - 01/26/12 07:34 AM
As I was leaving an inspection the other day I drove by the house pictured here.
I have seen many attempts at putting roofs on these houses designed to look like old English Thatch roofs. While I can appreciate the desire to mimic the old look, I have to say that I have never seen one pull off the mimic with much degree of success.
What is it about human beings that we have to make "new" things look like "old" things? There is no end to the number of faux materials out there. We see it in non-wood flooring … (31 comments)
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roofing: A guy and his hammer.... - 10/29/11 10:07 AM
Like any tool---pneumatic nail guns can be misused.Having spent a good part of my life framing houses, I would argue that for framing---nail guns are of little value. Sure they are faster, but you still have to lug a hammer around to drive things into proper position anyway. I know that I am not going to get much agreement about this but I will gladly tilt at this windmill regardless. I have worked side by side guys with nail guns and they never finished what they were doing before I finished what I was doing and the work was certainly never … (44 comments)
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roofing: When was the last time you had your roof pressure washed---and was it the last time? - 08/08/11 10:44 AM
Just a little double entendre in the title to start you thinking.Every now and then roofs need cleaning.
A simple Google search of companies that pressure-wash roofs in the Seattle area, reveals that there are literally HUNDREDS of companies out there willing to "hose" your roof. While there are some roof coverings that hold up well under pressure-washing---like concrete tiles and metal---composition shingles and wood shingles/shakes do not hold up very well. Many years can be taken off a roof by pressure-washing, as the granular coating gets blasted away.The pressure-washer, in the hands of someone who does not know what they … (21 comments)
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roofing: Selecting the right E&O policy----better yours than mine! (part1) - 06/06/11 09:26 AM
It seems that lately I have had a string of issues come up where my opinion of the condition of something was vastly different from that of the "qualified" professional brought in to make further evaluation.In itself this does not bother me all that much, because I would rather have the issue move from my E&O Insurance to theirs anyway.
It does create issues when the agents start arm wrestling over the deal however.For example on a recent inspection I pretty much shot, killed and buried a 26 year old furnace. Now if the furnace is truly shot, the … (15 comments)
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roofing: Do you find it hard to cope at times? - 04/05/11 11:50 AM
Home inspectors are always finding things done improperly.
A very common defect is where wood siding does not have proper clearances to the roof covering.
Two inches of clearance is recommended and when it is closer than this the wood will be subject to decay/rot because it is more likely to stay wet---especially as vegetative debris builds up in the area.
Sometimes there were adequate clearances originally, but with the addition of multiple layers of roofing the siding has become too close to the roof---and sometimes even buried by roofing materials. This is another strong argument for not going over other … (23 comments)
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roofing: Sing it: “Yes time, time, time is on my side, yes it is!” - 06/30/09 08:32 AM
One of the basic principles of roof shingles is that each course of shingles overlaps the previous course. This is not rocket science. Birds do it with feathers, lizards do it with scales. With shingles, feathers, or scales, if the lower courses overlap the upper courses, the shingles won’t shed water, the birds will get all wet, and the snakes won’t be able to slither.
At a recent inspection, as I approached the house there was nothing that “jumped out” as problematic with the roof from a distance----from what we call the “big view” of the home.
… (11 comments)
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roofing: Don Quixote Home Inspections----rides again! - 09/18/08 11:20 AM
In the past I have gotten my Underoos all in a bunch writing about the installation of roof pipe flashings that are not "consistent" with the expected life of the roof.
The types of pipe flashings that I am talking about are the ones that have a stretch-rubber component designed to fit tightly against the sides of the pipe. They may be constructed entirely of this stretch rubber material or a combination of harder plastic materials or metal materials. All three of these types of flashings have about a 15 year life expectancy making them suitable for roofs designed to … (12 comments)
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roofing: What do you mean there was just a "few" shingles blown off? - 08/22/08 11:08 PM
One of the most common questions home inspectors ask during a home inspection, has to be, "what were they thinking?" Yesterday was no exception. From the roof of my 3 story Townhouse inspection, I could see the roofs of two similar buildings that had some of their shingles blown off in the last big wind storm. The roofs had been repaired----but what I found interesting is the "extent" of the repairs.
The first building (we will call Roof A), as you can see in the picture, had a reasonable amount of repairs to what I would say was a … (52 comments)
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roofing: Hey Doc----has the alligator got a sore throat? - 08/01/08 06:02 PM
I recently ran a contest about a "Shingle-Ripper." While this might look like a tool "Jack the Ripper" would use, the real purpose of this tool is something quite different. The tool is likely of little interest to the average homeowner----except maybe to poke things around in a fire or to depress the tongues of alligators (you might have to read the other blog to fully appreciate this visual). The device is indispensible to a roofer that wants to do the best job replacing damaged wood or slate shingles.
With this tool, the user will be able to easily remove … (16 comments)
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roofing: What do you mean I have ALLIGATORS on my roof? - 01/30/08 10:10 PM
I am sure most of you have heard of the term "Alligatoring" as applied to roofing----particularly related to flat roofs. This is a condition of the roof that indicates that the roof is near the end of its life (maybe way past it), and gets its name from the way an alligator's back looks (if you use your imagination). As the roof expands and contracts over time, and as the volatiles of the tar boil off in the heat from the sun, cracks start to develop in the surface. This condition is due to the lack of UV protection, and … (7 comments)
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Charles Buell, Seattle Home Inspector
Seattle,
WA
More about me…
Charles Buell Inspections.com
Address: Seattle, Shoreline, Everett, Lynnwood, Bothel, Kirkland, Bellevue, Mercer Island, Edmonds, Renton, King County, 17123 22nd Ave NE, Shoreline (Seattle), WA, 98155
Office Phone: (206) 478-7371
Cell Phone: (206) 478-7371
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