Roof Inspection

A home roof is much more than just an exterior covering of the building. It is your first line of defense against extreme weather. Be it snow hail, high winds, or storm that tear through your town, your house’s roof goes through everything. As it provides you protection, it also needs protection, and for that, timely roof inspection is necessary.

 Homeowners who neglect roof inspection until their ceiling shows the signs of leakage may face a larger problem that includes mold growth, damaged insulation, and plenty of structural issues. Besides this, if you want your roof inspection completed quickly, it may lack the precision that could lead to disaster. That is what makes a comprehensive roof inspection is of paramount importance.

That is to say, a roof inspection is a long process and needs careful execution. Here we have broken the process of in-depth roof inspection into nine key steps to help you determine whether your roof needs repair.

Step 1 – Inspecting the Interior System of Your Roof

Internal inspection begins with the close examination and evaluation of your roof interior system.

Here you need to look for the signs of structural defects, water stains, rust noticeable weaknesses or corrosion, and mechanical fasteners that are coming from the roof deck. Make sure that you examine the roof leaks from the inside to determine its source or presence of any other issues, including roof splits. This step helps house owners know which area of the house needs careful traversing.

In short, you need to spot any residual damage to your house structure before it makes its way inside. Following are the key components of your interior, if they have stains, mold or cracks, get your roof checked immediately:

• Walls
• Vent
• Chimneys
• Attic
• Ceiling
• Skylights

Step 2 – Inspecting the House Envelop

This step is the part of your general inspection that you do before proceeding to your roof’s deck. It is very helpful in identifying any out-of-the-ordinary roof defects that may include cracks in walls or corners, doors, window opening, pre-cast panel tilting, and signs of structural movement. In case you notice any signs of water entry in the house, check your house’s gutters and down spots first.

Step 3 – Inspecting Rooftop

 Step 3 is all about switching your efforts to the top of your house. It is better to go through the specifications and original plan of your house before you begin a close inspection. In case if you have hired a roofing contractor to do the job, sharing specification and original plan will help locate the key areas of your roof. Start with a general look over your rooftop to spot any standing pools, debris, wear-and-tear, mold, or vegetation. All these signs are an indicator of long-term problems.

Step 4 – Inspecting Roof Field and Roof Perimeter

Once you complete the general overview of your roof, the next step is to examine the perimeters and field of the roof, which is one of the risky spots for leaks and other problems. Make sure that you closely inspect base flashing, base flashing, and coping joints at this stage.

In addition, examine the gutters to spot any damage or leakage. After you check the roof’s perimeter, your next task is to check the main body of your roof. If you find pools of stagnant water on the roof, this may be the sign of poor roof installation and construction. Inspect the surface membrane to check its condition if your roof is an EPDM (Ethylene Propylene Diene Terpolymer) roofing. This rubber membrane is extremely durable.

Again, you need to spot the signs of dirt build-up and debris here. In addition, look for the signs of lacking amount of surface layers. Generally, harsh weather such as strong gust of winds affects the surface layers of your roof. Although these are small details, they may play an important role in giving you clue of any severe issue that may cause physical damage to your house.

Step 5 – Inspecting Roof Equipment and Accessories

Many homeowners consider including this step in their roof inspection checklist trivial. However, sometimes, roof-based equipment can cause leakage and damage if you install them poorly. That is why it is important to inspect areas like seals, flashing, drains, and other areas relevant to this particular roof examination.

Step 6 – Inspecting Roof Installation

The next step is to check the sheathing of your roof. If you lack the technical expertise, this might get exhaustive. However, a professional roof inspector may help you determine two things:

• How solid the application of your asphalt shingles is
• If the weather has affected the condition of asphalt shingles

If your roof installation is poor, it may affect the underlayment of the building.

Step 7 – Exterior Observation

The outer view of your roof is also an important part of your roof inspection. The exterior observation helps you inspect the shingles and shape of the roof. You can observe the outside view of the roof in many ways. The common ones are stepping onto the ladder and using binoculars to observe the exteriors. If you are not an expert or have no experience of climbing up the ladder for exterior observation, it is not safe to step on the roof as you may hurt yourself or fall.

However, you need to inspect the key areas of your roof when doing an exterior observation. These include:

• Caulking areas
• Flashings
• Shingles
• Intersection point
• Gutter Systems

It is worth noting that if the given areas are missing, cracked, or even peeling, you immediately need to repair them or replace them.

Get Professional Help to Fix the Issues

Once you are done with a thorough roof inspection and found the areas that need fixing, call a professional roof contractor. They have trained experts who are ready to help homeowners with any roofing issues. They can help you look into the roof and find the causes of damage.

Thus, the given steps are very helpful in inspecting the condition of your roof.