A roof over your head, that's one of those old sayings that rings oh so true. The roof is the top of the house. It keeps the rain out, the mid day sun and bay and the leaves out of the attic. In other words it's real important. For that reason the roof has to be one of the top home buyer concerns. I make it a point to look at the roof from as close as possible. I can't walk them all, but most can viewed from the edge on the ladder.
Flat roofs are not all that common on residential homes. Usually I will find them here in Connecticut on an addition or older structure. The challenge with a flat roof is keeping up with the maintenance. The coverings for flat roofs are not nearly as durable as slopped roof shingles. Subsequently flat roofs tend to leak way more often. Actually leaking is the result of two basic characteristic;
- Poor durability of the coverings and
- Flat roofs are, well flat. Really they aren't perfectly flat, but have a slight to moderate pitch.
Often to save money flat roofs are patched with one of the contractors favorite substances; Roofing tar. I say that because I see tar glopped on the majority of roofs I inspect. I find it on the chimney the most. Roofing tar is a really meant to be used as a TEMPORARY patching compound, which is why after a year or two the leak reoccurs.
The other day I found an entire flat roof covered in roofing tar. Now I have seen tar covered flat roofs, which is usually hot tar, messy, stinky, nasty stuff by the way, but not the big box store canned variety. The tenet living in this unit is "in construction" and has been "maintaining" the roof for the landlord. The bucket ‘o' tar in the picture was one of three I found. Looks like he forgot to take in his professional applicator. Yes that's a push broom.
This roof was thick with tar and from what I could see inside it was working as expected.
James Quarello
2010 - 2011 SNEC-ASHI President
NRSB #8SS0022
JRV Home Inspection Services, LLC
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