Welcome to Home Inspections In The Pocono's: The Series Part 3 - Inspecting The Roof.
Inspecting the roof is one of the most important and crucial part of the home inspection. When buying a home the roof is one of the biggest concerns for the buyer. The roof protects the home from the elements and is perceived to be both expensive and complicated to repair. Plus it cannot generally be seen from the ground making it one of the most important components to inspect. So, lets discuss what we inspect during the course of the roof inspection:
First we determine and report on the type of roof covering. Residential dwellings in the Pocono's have either three tab shingles or architectural shingles. Three tab shingles have an average useful service life of 15 to 25 years while architectural shingles have an average useful service life of 20 to 40 years. Now, I'm not saying these are the only two types of roof covering seen in the Pocono's. I'm saying that these are the two most common types.
- Next we inspect the roof covering in order to determine the visible condition of the surface and report the roof to be in Satisfactory, Marginal or Poor condition. This is determine by many factors including whether or not there are any signs of shingle curling or popping. Any signs of missing shingles or tabs or exposed felt material. We also inspect for nail pops, ponding, burn spots and moss buildup.
- We the move on to inspect any and all visible flashing. We're basically looking to determine if all the flashing is intact, in good condition and properly secured to the roof structure.
- Next we inspect the roof's drainage system including all gutters and downspouts to insure that they are in proper satisfactory condition. We report on the condition of the components and whether they need to be cleaned, repaired, properly secured or extended away from the house.
- During the course of the roof inspection we will recommend that any over hanging tree limbs or branches be cut away from the roof covering.
- The chimney and chimney flashing are also inspected along with the plumbing vents and their flashings.
- We also report on any structural conditioned observed during the course of the inspection.
- The inspection will also report on the roofing trim, the soffits, the fascia boards, the type of ventilation and the roofing style.
- If the house has an accessible attic we will report on any visible roofing damage that might be visible from inside such as moisture damage or damaged structural components such as split rafters and damaged trusses.
- Finally will we report if the roof was inspected from the ladder set against the eaves, from the ground with binoculars or from on top of the roof.
98% of all roof inspections performed by our inspectors are carried out from on top the roof.
JTHIS- Professional Home Inspection Team
serving all of the Pocono's and the surrounding area
www.jthis.com (570) 262-7551
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