Roof Checkpoints

Because water is generally the homeowner’s biggest enemy any home inspection in Manhattan will include a thorough look at the roof. Since the roof is the first line of defense against rain, sleet and snow, it’s a good idea to allow the home inspector all the necessary time that he or she needs to do a proper job on this inspection. However, if you want to get a little head start on the project, you can learn a few tricks of the trade yourself, but it’s not a good idea to get up on a sloped roof yourself to take a look around. A pair of binoculars will do just as well here to help you get a good idea of what’s going on.

First off, you’ll want to look along the ridge to see if it’s straight. If you notice a sag in the middle there are likely two culprits at work: there may be too many layers of shingles under the present one or the rafters that were used in the initial construction were too small. The problem could also be the roof sheathing and that might need to be replaced during the next roofing.

Flashing is the next consideration. Look at the shape of it around the chimney and plumbing vents. The flashing’s main job is to stop water from leaking into the house from the joints where they meet the roof itself. Look for flashing that’s missing, rusted or otherwise damaged and make sure to replace or re-caulk it. Here it’s important to have a good look at the valleys where the roof joins between sections. These sections carry a lot of water during the spring and summer and they often take the brunt of runoff snow during the colder months. It’s a good idea to make sure that they’re always in good shape.

A few more words about valleys here since they are very important to the roof. There are generally two kinds—one is made from metal flashings and called an open valley and the other has interwoven shingles and is termed a closed valley. Most of the experts suggest that the open valley is much better since the metal flashing lasts a lot longer than the shingles and can usually take more weight.

The drip-edge is the specialized flashing that protrudes from under the lowest courses of roofing. This feature is especially important since it allows water to drip away from the edge of the roof. This is important where windows are concerned since water running down the side of the structure can unnecessarily harm these windows. As well, older homes without drip edges suffer damage since the water flows backward into walls.

Olympian Civil Home and Building Inspections (866) 476-2056