Roof Inspection

​Ongoing roof inspections and periodic repairs can save you a lot of money in the long run. Every roof will need to be replaced at some point, but proper maintenance can extend its lifetime and decrease the chances of more major repairs down the road. We recommend roof inspections once every 3 years, particularly for older homes. We provide high quality, affordable inspections to ensure that any problems are fixed quickly, significantly reducing the chances of your roof needing major repairs down the road.

Roof inspections should be thought of as a preventative care visit for your roof. Regular roof inspections can find problems right at the source, allowing for corrections to be made before the problem spreads and gets worse, making for a costly repair. Catching the problem early allows for a much smaller (and cheaper) repair. A roof inspector will check many areas, looking for the smallest sign of a problem to nip any issues in the bud. Some areas that your inspector will check are:
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• Roof Structure: This will check for roof sagging, spreading, rot, and rust. Structural problems tend to form and worsen over many years. Without regular inspection, structural issues often get very bad before they are noticed by the homeowner.
• The Interior: The inspector will check your attic to assess the level of ventilation, if there is any mold or rot, and that the insulation is still in good condition. They will look for any signs of water penetration, which may indicate a leak that needs to be fixed. If found soon enough, holes may be able to be patched very easily and quickly.
• Roof Materials: The inspector will identify the materials used on your roof, assess if they are appropriate for the climate, and look for wear that is common for that particular material.
• Downspouts and Gutters: While gutters may seem to be of only minor importance, they actually have much more of an impact than many homeowners think. Improperly placed or maintained downspouts can lead to foundation problems after only a few years. Clogged or leaky rain gutters can lead to wear on roof and siding materials, and can even cause the piping to pull away from the house due to the weight.
• Quality of Installation: Your inspector will look for problems that may be caused by poor installation materials and practices. They look for low quality nail patterns, incorrect shingle overhang or placement, underlayment quality, and overall structural integrity.
• Shingle Problems: The inspector will look for missing, damaged, and decaying shingles. Noticing and replacing missing or damaged shingles promptly can prevent damage from penetrating further into the layers of your roof.
• Issues with Chimneys: Chimneys are an often overlooked area that don’t always receive the maintenance that they need. Your inspector will look for large obstructions like leaves, branches, bird nests, and dead animals. They will also assess if there is too much creosote (a by product of burning wood that often builds up in chimneys) in the flue of your chimney. Blockages can be dangerous, as they may allow dangerous gasses, like carbon monoxide, to build up in your home. If you live in an older home, there may be safety hazards about your chimney that you aren’t aware of that may make your chimney a danger to your home and your family.
• Roof Flashing Issues: Roof flashing works to direct water from more vulnerable areas of the roof into a drainage system. If the flashings are damaged, your chances of your roof springing a leak are drastically higher.
• Encroaching Vegetation: Over time, vegetation grows and changes, and a plant that was once a far enough distance from the house can grow to a size that endangers your home. Fallen trees and branches, leaves clogging gutters and chimneys, and mold growth promoted by fallen leaves sitting on the roof of your house. Vegetation is also not only a danger to your roof, the roots of the plant may be damaging your foundation.
• Signs of Animals and Pests: Birds, rats and mice, bees, termites, and other bugs and small animals can enter your home through a hole in your roof. Removing pests from your home as soon as possible is important to ensure that they don’t have time to reproduce and do more damage.

 
These problems may sound a bit overwhelming to think about, but any one of them can happen. By ensuring that inspection and maintenance are done as needed on your roof, you can prevent many of these problems from occurring, and any that do occur will most likely be caught early and be very minor fixes. Your inspector will let you know of any problems that they might find and will guide you in deciding what steps to take next.