Ar_home_b_search
 

We home inspectors often talk about plumbers who take a bite out of beams, floor joists, you name it, down in basements and crawl spaces. They can solder, cut, glue and make drains run downhill, but they can be menaces to the structure they work on.

There is a similar menace on many roofs. I see this one a whole lot in this community. That menace is either an overzealous home owner or someone who works for one of these dish TV companies. These folks get up on the roof, about any place they please, and then they screw their dish fasteners onto the roof surface. In so doing, they put holes or penetrations right down into the roof and sheathing. Sometimes these are long bolts -- worse than a simple roofing nail.

On at least two inspections, when entering the attic, I found leaks around the fasteners at these dishes. Somebody needs to give dish installers a basic course in not wrecking roofs. It seems like, one of these days, some homeowner is going to get a good dose of attic mold, sue one of the installation companies, and the companies might start better training the installers. As for the homeowners who do their own work of that caliber, the more you do this job of inspecting, the more you realize that there is no hope of redemption for most of them. 

bellingham home inspector king of the house

Thanks for stopping by,

Steven L. Smith

GeoLogo207

 </

        

        

Check out "This Day In History" -- music and vintage television from the 1950's through the 1980's.  I enjoy writing these articles because they take me back to my days in radio broadcasting. Click on Elvis' gold record, below, to revisit those golden hits of yesteryear.

           

 
This post has been included in Washington Real Estate News Whatcom County, WA Real Estate News Bellingham, WA Real Estate News
Post is included in group: Dedicated Bloggers
Post is included in group: Home Inspectors across the country
Post is included in group: Puget Sound - WA Real Estate

6 Comments on So Likely To Leak

OCT
24
2009
141,604 Points 11 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Ouch.  I've often wondered when I've seen those up there, but have yet to see it called out on an inspection.  It just can't be good to do that to a roof!

11:38pm • #1
OCT
25
2009
108,507 Points 2 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Do-it-yourselfers are probably more often to blame. My experience has been that most installers have some common sense.  In your experience do you see a lot of commercial installers creating this kind of damage?

12:28am • #2
1,138,463 Points 139 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Dish antenna installers are just about as bad as plumbers with a sawzall. VE vill make it vork - Yeah Buddy - Watch this...

Helping you live your American dream...

4:22am • #3
430,233 Points 71 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

I have found so many problems with dish antennae installs. I really do not think the installers are trained. I do know they are all sub-contractors which may explain a lot about the workmanship.

7:57am • #4
777,365 Points 53 Featured Posts Outside Blog Called Shot Master

Steven:  I am wondering if these "dish folks" would have any sort of liability for causing a roof leak that ends up causing some pretty extensive damage on the underside, or inside of the roof... after they have done their nails and bolts thing.  ??

4:25pm • #5
1,103,556 Points 45 Featured Posts Outside Blog

Karen Ann,

I wonder the same thing. I would think so. I know that is something builders have to worrry about especially in the age of mold scares.

4:51pm • #6

This blog does not allow anonymous comments

 
Mason_for_ar Rainmaker_large

Steven L. Smith, Bellingham, Wa. Home Inspector

Bellingham, WA

More about me…

King of the House Home Inspection, Inc

Address: Bellingham, Ferndale, Lynden, Blaine, Sumas, Nooksack, Lake Whatcom, Lake Samish, Anacortes, Mount Vernon, Whatcom County, Bellingham, WA, 98225

Office Phone: (360) 676-6908

Cell Phone: (360) 319-0038

Email Me

Home inspection information designed to educate the real estate buyer and the real estate professional. Blog posts include general information and information specific to the Pacific Northwest region.


Listings

Links

Archives

RSS 2.0 Feed for this blog