Bellingham WA Home Inspector (King of the House): Rot is not a normal and acceptable part of aging

As a Bellingham home inspector, in the Pacific Northwet, I see this problem a lot. A month back, I wrote a blog much like this regarding moss on roofs. In a similar vein, I have heard sellers claim that their wood shake or shingle roof would last 50 years, guaranteed. Then, when I went up and inspected, I found that the shakes were rotting away. And the problem with rot, outside the house, is there is not much you can do about it once the process starts. Rot will grow and thrive if moisture levels are 20% or higher, and in our climate in the Pacific Northwet, that means the shingles are way over that critical level most of the year. Another truth is that, most of the newer wood roofs are not the same quality as those from years back that were made of old growth trees. What can be done to keep this from happening?  Well, since it is wood and wet in this climate, that will happen eventually. In the meantime, keep the roof clean, get the leaves off it, keep the moss off of it and then there are preservatives you can buy that claim to prolong the life of the wood roofing. The main thing is, if you are a buyer, realize that when someone says they have a 50 year wood roof, guaranteed, it might in fact be shot at only 10 years, it depends on how it has been taken care of and the quality of the roof in the first place. Even a good wood roof, given poor care, can deteriorate very fast.

Thanks for looking.

Steven L. Smith

Bellingham WA Home Inspector

www.kingofthehouse.com