FREE Roof Inspection

Buyers face many dangers when purchasing a home, and there are many different aspects of the home that must be taken into consideration. It is important to get a full survey of the property to see if there are any potential problems before buying the house. Mortgage companies typically demand that some sort of inspection is done on the property in order to be sure you are paying a fair amount, which makes sense considering that this is probably the most important financial investment you will make in your lifetime. Your lender may require that the roof is surveyed as a part of this inspection because they know this is one potentially costly aspect of purchasing a house that is unfortunately often overlooked. 

Check That Your Roof is Safe with a Certified Roof Inspection

It doesn’t matter if you are having your roof inspected to satisfy a mortgage lender or if you are doing a routine maintenance check; it’s always preferable to invest in a full, certified roof inspection. When you request a certified roof inspection, a recognized and reputable roofing contractor will come to your house, inspect the roof for any potential problems, and as long as all is well, they will complete the certified roof inspection by presenting you with a certificate. This certificate is typically valid for two years, and if anything goes wrong with your roof in that time the roofing company is obligated to fix it free of charge.

Benefits of a Certified Roof Inspection

Sometimes it is merely reassuring to get a certified roof inspection; other times it is absolutely essential. In either case, it is a frugal choice that will pay off in the end. By investing in a certified roof inspection, even when it turns out there are no problems with the home, you are essentially taking out a two-year insurance policy or warranty on your roof. It would otherwise be impossible to get a warranty on a roof that isn’t new.

If you want to ensure a long life for your roof, it is really necessary to have a certified roof inspection every two years. 
This will help you to prevent expensive damage by taking care of all the minor repairs as they come along. When you get a certified roof inspection, you can rest assured that your roof will be structurally sound for the next two years. As long as you have the valid certificate you will be able to have it fixed even when the most unexpected damages occur.

Checklist for an Accurate Roof Inspection Report

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

 Outside Roof Inspection

It is very simple to inspect a roof from the outside as long as you have a good unobstructed viewing point on the rooftop. The following checklist of problem warning signs will help you look for any potential problems during an outside roof repair inspection report.

1. Blistered, curled or split shingles
2. Loose or missing shingles or tiles
3. Loose nails
4. Exposed nails (can lead to leaks in the roof)
5. Dark patches on asphalt shingles and/or large amounts of granules in the rain gutters (granular coating is wearing away)
6. Sagging on the ridges or in the center of the roof
7. Broken or loose shingles at the ridgelines and hip lines
8. Rusty or corroded metal (flashing) and loose shingles in the valleys, plumbing vents or near chimneys (it may be necessary to remove excess debris and leaves to inspect thoroughly)
9. Rusty metal or loose shingles where vertical sides of the house meet the roof
10. Overflowing gutters or excess water pooling near the foundation of the house
11. Blisters, depressions near vent pipes, separations in flashing, and clogged drains on flat roofs (pop blisters with a knife and coat them with roofing cement to prevent further damage; depressions can also be filled with roofing cement).

Indoor Roof Inspection

The following checklist includes all the problem warning signs 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 most likely 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).

NOTE: If you have any questions or concerns about a roof inspection, give us a call at 703-475-2446. If you would like to post your question online, please visit our friend Tim Carver at AskTheBuilder.com.

Remember - Roofer911 is you professional Northern Virginia Roof Inspector and always
at your service!