Home Inspections Winthrop | Home Inspector (507) 721-0818
Roof damage leaves you quite literally open to exposure. You might face costly repairs if leaks cause water damage and mold. Maintaining your roof and checking for problems will help you avoid trouble. Having your roof inspected before buying your home can also save you thousands of dollars in the future.
When our roof inspector comes out to your property, they will do a visual inspection of the roof and look at the following areas for issues:
- Lifting or missing shingles: Poor insulation may have led to ice damming and shingles dropping, or it could mean your roof is coming to the end of its life.
- Damaged drip edge: This metal flashing hangs under the roof eaves to protect the fascia. If it’s damaged or missing, rainwater can get in.
- Flashing issues: Check all the roof valleys and near the chimney — anywhere the roof meets a vertical surface. They will look for anything out of the ordinary, including missing, damaged or bent flashing.
- Missing or exposed fasteners: If nails or fasteners are compromised, shingles or underlayment could be loose, which means your roof might be ripe for water damage.
- Piles of granules: Asphalt shingles shed gently over time. But if granules are piling up in gutters or on the ground below this can indicate a bigger issue.
- Rotted wood: From the attic or top floor, look at the underside of the roof for any leaks, rotted wood, exposed areas or loose fasteners. Call in a Sears expert if you discover any of these issues.
- Damaged sheathing: Usually made of oriented strand board (OSB) or plywood, sheathing is what your shingles are attached to; it helps keep the roof elements stable.
- Damaged underlayment: Underlayment is usually a felt or synthetic material over the sheathing and under the shingles. If it’s damaged, water can easily seep in.
- Improperly laid starter strip: Along the edge of the roof, this starter row of shingles is actually two rows and needs to be installed correctly.
- Shingle nailing pattern: Depending on type and brand, every shingle has a nailing pattern for optimal outcomes. If shingles are nailed on willy-nilly, they won’t adhere correctly and will perform poorly.
To make sure your roof is good and condition and ready to face any weather that may come its way, give us a call to schedule your roof inspection today!