You Need a Certified Roof Inspection When Buying a New Home – Part 2

Get An Accurate Roof Inspection Report

continued from Part 1

Leaking roofs, poor drainage, and clogged gutters and downspouts can all lead to water damage inside your home. This is why it is important to get a roof inspection report regularly, both for the inside and outside.

It is very simple to inspect a roof from the outside as long as you have an unobstructed viewing of the rooftop.

Outside Roof Inspection

The following is a checklist of warning signals will help you look for any potential problem areas during an outside roof inspection.

  • Loose or missing shingles or tiles
  • Loose or exposed nails that can lead to leaks in the roof
  • Dark patches on asphalt shingles or large amounts of granules in the rain gutters
  • Sagging on the ridges or in the center of the roof
  • Broken or loose shingles at the ridge and hip lines
  • Rusty or corroded metal (flashing) and loose shingles in the valleys, plumbing vents or near chimneys
  • Overflowing gutters or excess water pooling near the foundation of your home
  • Blisters, depressions near vent pipes, separations in flashing, and clogged drains on flat roofs (popping blisters with a knife and coating them with roofing cement can prevent further damage; depressions can also be filled with roofing cement).
  • Blistered, curled or splitting shingles

Indoor Roof Inspection

The following checklist includes all the problem warning signals to look for during an indoor roof inspection:

1)      Sagging decking between the rafters (if the decking is sagging or deteriorating, the decking will also need to be replaced during a roof replacement)

2)      Outside light seen through the roof (this may not be a problem on shake roofs since they tend to swell and prevent leaks during the wet months)

3)      Signs of leaking in the attic (dark spots in the wood, especially around vents, chimneys, and other holes to the roof)

4)      If dark spots are still wet or soft they are a current problem, if dry and hard it is probably an old problem that has been fixed

5)      Signs of water damage or leaking (usually in the form of water stains, or sagging ceilings due to an active leak or condensation from poor roof ventilation).

A roof will face many calamities during its lifetime, including wind, rain, snow, hail, extreme heat and any other element you can imagine. It is crucial that you have a high-quality roof to protect yourself and your family from the worst weather conditions. Many people put off necessary roof repair and roof replacement services until it’s too late and end up with damage throughout their home as a result. It’s a good idea to have your roof checked regularly, especially if it is more than four or five years old or has suffered storm damage.

Ensuring a quality installation, providing the roof with consistent maintenance, and the early detection of problems through routine inspections will maximize roof life. As the roof ages, the likelihood of problems increases. However, it is how these problems are addressed that will determine the future of your roof system.

If you are buying a home and need to have a certified roof inspection, it is important to address any concerns you may have with a reliable Minnesota Roofing Contractor. Damage that goes unrepaired is a nightmare waiting to happen. The longer the damage persists, the more it will effect your home, potentially causing a larger repair costing you more money. A certified Minnesota roofing contractor will know exactly what to look for.