I think most people would agree that roofs are an important part of the house.  Unfortunately, it seems we are calling out problems on roofs daily.  I suppose with all these foreclosures and short sales, people just didn't have the money to keep up with the maintenance or have items repaired properly.

Now, to address the title of this blog.  A flashing can be one of numerous items on a roof.  I will concentrate on the flashing below, which is the metal piece you see under the electrical mast in the picture.

The purpose of the flashing in the picture is to avoid water from entering the hole in the roof that was made to accommodate the electrical mast (the pole that the overhead electrical wires enter to give power to the house).  So the roofer had to make a hole for the electrical mast and wires, just no way to get around that (unless your electrical service comes in underground).  Now that there's a hole in the roof, something needs to be done to prevent water from entering that hole.  That's where a flashing comes in.  The flashing is integrated into the roof to deter water from entering.  Therefore they are critical components of a roof.  There are also flashings where the chimney meets the roof, where a wall meets a roof, valleys and any other object protruding from the roof (like a skylight).  The flashing below was barely integrated at the right part of the flashing and not integrated at all at the top and bottom part of the flashing (as oriented in the picture).  So the "handy" roofer decided to use good old roofing cement.  The problem with roofing cement is that it cracks over time and needs routine maintenance.  Roofing cement is good for some parts of the roof, but is not sufficient to stop this flashing from leaking.  Below is another example:

So the moral of the story is: Mr. "Handy" Roofer, don't get "flashy" with your flashings, just install them properly.

I hope this gives you a little more information about a professional home inspection and its value.  Be safe out there.

Posted by Joseph Lang of Pillar To Post Professional Home Inspection

(c) 2009 Joseph Lang dba Pillar To Post

Pillar To Post is your local franchise providing home inspections for clients and real estate professionals located in Rancho Cucamonga, Upland, Montclair, Chino, Chino Hills, La Verne, Claremont, San Dimas, Glendora, Azusa, Diamond Bar, Brea, Fullerton, Placentia, Fontana, Rialto, Corona, Norco and surronding areas.