Friday, June 28, 2019
Summer is here and it is one of the busiest seasons for buying a home. Next to the cost of the home itself, nothing will cost you more than having to replace the roof. That’s why it is critical to get a roof inspection prior to buying a home. The roof may appear fine from the ground, but only an inspection can show hidden issues, like improper venting, poorly installed gutters, hidden mold and mildew, dry rot and other defects. Getting a professional roof inspection will cost you far less than a roof repair or replacement.
Here is a checklist of items based on the 10 most common roof problems that you can ask your roof inspectors to look at for you:
- loose, broken or missing roofing material (like shingles, tiles or shakes)
- blistered, curled or split roof shingles, shakes or tiles; watch for dark patches
- large amounts of granules in the rain gutters — granular coatings on asphalt shingle wear away and the shingle loses integrity and its protection capabilities
- sagging in the ridges or in the center of the roof or sagging decking between the rafters
- loose, missing or corroded flashing – particularly near perforations in the roof like plumbing vents, heating or cooling vents, chimneys and sky lights
- broken or loose shingles at ridge lines and hip lines
- rusty metal or loose shingles where vertical sides of the house meet the roof
- proper ventilation to make sure your roof can breathe
- blisters, depressions near vent pipes, clogged drains on flat roofs, separations in flashing
- overflowing gutters or excess water pooling near the foundation of the house
- signs of leaking in the attic area — dark spots in the wood (especially around chimneys, vents and other holes to the roof)
- wet or soft dark spots mean they are a current problem, dry and hard dark spots indicate an old problem that has been fixed
- signs of leaking or water damage – water stains, sagging ceilings
If the roof has damage or needs a new roof, you can take the written estimate (the roofing company has provided) to the seller and negotiate the selling price or insist the roof work be completed before purchasing the home.
If the roof inspector finds damage, have them write up an estimate on the cost of repair. Then you can take the list of damage and estimate to the seller and negotiate the price or insist on repairs before purchasing the home.
If the roof inspector finds damage, have them write up an estimate on the cost of repair. Then you can take the list of damage and estimate to the seller and negotiate the price or insist on repairs before purchasing the home.
http://www.roofingsouthwest.com/buying-a-home-roof-inspection-is-critical
