Roof Inspector, or Roofer?

Dear Chris,
I see you are no longer a home inspector -- probably have not been for awhile. I only noticed because I needed my roof inspected, as it is leaking, and I am not sure it should be after only 5 years. Can you refer me to someone who can come out and look at it before I call the roofing company?

Thank you for all of your articles, you are very informative and HILARIOUS!

Angie

Dear Angie,

Let me start by thanking you for your compliment and giving you one in return. Your ability to recognize talent is amazingly accurate! You are also accurate in observing that I am no longer a home inspector. Long story, happy ending.

Now let’s talk about you roof, shall we? No, it shouldn’t be leaking, and you probably want to call a roofer rather than an inspector. An inspector will tell you that your roof is leaking and, of course, you already know that! A roofer will tell you why and what needs to be done to fix it. A home inspector is a generalist and a roofer is a specialist. You go to a family doctor for an annual check-up, but if you wake up one morning and notice that you’ve grown an extra ear, you probably need a specialist.

It’s possible that your roof is still under warranty, so your first call should be to the builder or their roofing contractor. If the roof has been fine for five years and now all of a sudden is leaking, the problem may not be warranty related. I tend to get a number of calls on roof leaks right after Christmas decoration installation season. Maybe that’s just a coincidence.

Let’s go back to the subject of the inspector/doctor analogy. There are those who get an annual check-up and those who only go to the doctor when they sprout an additional appendage. The same goes for homeowners and their roofs. If you read your roof warranty, the manufacturer generally recommends an inspection every two years. I agree. They also require that you maintain your roof. I agree with that as well. Now, before you sling a ladder up on you roof and risk breaking your roof tiles and your cranium, let me clarify what I mean by inspection and maintenance.

Inspection: Once a year you should inspect the roof yourself, but not by walking on it. Use a ladder to check from the roof eave, or use binoculars to get a better view from the ground. A combination of these two methods is best. You should be looking for broken or dislodged tiles, tree branches rubbing against the roof, debris, or anything else that doesn’t look right. If you’re on a small lot, you may need to look from a neighbor’s property. You might want to get permission first, rather than sneak into their yard with a pair of binoculars. I’m told that the police frown on that type of behavior. Every two years have a licensed roofer or qualified home inspector go up and walk the roof. By walking the roof, they will get to see everything up close and personal.

Maintenance: Pretty simple stuff here. If you see something wrong, get it fixed! Cut back any branches that are touching the roof. Remove debris (and kid’s toys) that you find. If there are broken tiles, get them replaced. If they’re loose, get them secured. Most people don’t realize that roof tiles aren’t 100% water proof. They are made of concrete and concrete is porous. Part of their job is to protect the underlayment, or roofing paper, which sheds any water that seeps through the tiles. If the underlayment is exposed to the elements, it deteriorates. That’s what often causes the leak.

I hope you found this week’s column as hilarious as those in the past. Probably not, roofs just aren’t that funny. I actually know a pretty good roof joke. Never mind, it’s over your head.