Buying a Home?
Roof Inspection is Critical!
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 replacement.
Here is a checklist of items based on the 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 shingles wear away and the shingle looses integrity and its protection capabilities
- improper installation of air conditioning or vents
- 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 skylights
- 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 or sagging ceilings
If the roof inspector finds damage, have them write up an estimate on the cost. Then you can take the list of damage and estimate to the seller and negotiate the price or insist on replacement before purchasing the home.
If you need a roof inspection prior to buying a home, call Greenawalt Roofing at (717)898-6000.
