Getting a lift- My roof can be a yard ornament. Chelan Home Inspection Services
As a home inspector and for a short period of time in my life a roofer (I decided very quickly this was not going to be my chosen profession). I am always amazed how poorly some roof installations are performed.
The roof is the primary protection of the home from the elements.
Here on the Eastern flanks of the Cascade Mountains we get seasonal high winds due to how the air masses move from the west to the east.
Often after one of these storms I will find sections of roofs that have lifted off and are now laying in the yard. Yard ornaments are born.
If the roof had been installed correctly in the first place this should be a very rare event. But unfortunately it is not.
When shingles are installed they need to be properly installed with the right fasteners (nails not staples, and I recommend 6 nail fastening versus 4 nails) and when temperature will be warm enough to cause the sealing strip to adhere the shingle to the one below.
Each shingle has a thermal sealing strip. Good practices are to install the shingles at temperatures ranging from 40°F to 85°F.
GAF has this statement about shingle installations-
“WIND RESISTANCE/HAND SEALING: These shingles have a special thermal sealant that firmly bonds the shingles together after application when exposed to sun and warm temperatures. Shingles installed in Fall or Winter may not seal until the following Spring. If shingles are damaged by winds before sealing or are not exposed to adequate surface temperatures, or if the self sealant gets dirty, the shingles may never seal. Failure to seal under these circumstances results from the nature of self-sealing shingles and is not a manufacturing defect.
To insure immediate sealing, apply 4 quarter-sized dabs of shingle tab adhesive on the back of the shingle 1" (25mm) and 13" (330mm) in from each side and 1" (25mm) up from bottom of the shingle. Press shingle firmly into the adhesive. For maximum wind resistance along rakes, cement shingles to underlayment and each other in a 4" (102mm) width of asphalt plastic roof cement.”
As you can see it is very important that the roof be installed so the shingles properly adhere.
Proper evaluation of the roof installation needs to be performed. This is why whenever possible I try to walk the roof. A pair of binoculars cannot replace this evaluation.
“A discovery is said to be an accident meeting a prepared mind”
Albert Szent-Gyorgyi
NCW Home Inspections, LLC is a Licensed Washington State Home Inspection service located in Wenatchee Washington serving Chelan County, Douglas County, Kittitas County, Okanogan County and Grant County Washington and the cities of Wenatchee, Leavenworth, Cashmere, Orville, Cle Elum, East Wenatchee, Quincy and many more…
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