Residential roof inspections are often required before a mortgage or home loan can be secured. During these inspections, all parts of a roof are inspected – the shingles, the gutters, the flashing, and even the inside of the roof from the attic. Roof problems usually result in expensive repairs, so inspecting the roof also helps owners identify any problems before they become too serious.

How to Pass Residential Roof Inspections

If you are getting your roof inspected, there are a few steps you want to take to ensure your roof passes the inspection. Checking the inside of your roof (from the attic) is a good place to start.

1. When you get to your attic, start looking around for any evidence of water. Dark stains, puddles, and sagging or cracking rafters are indicative of water in your attic. If there appears to be water, look at the wood for a clue as to the age of the leak. Dry and firm wood indicates an old leak. Lesser-quality woods may have even begun the rotting process if left alone long enough. If there is any water damage, you will want to find a roofer to fix this before your inspection.

2. The next thing you will want to inspect are the shingles on your roof. To do this, grab a ladder and place it against your house. Climb your ladder and stop when you are at roof-level and able to gauge the condition. Shingles that appear to be cracking or splitting or even missing should be fixed or replaced. Asphalt shingles with dark patches likely need a new granular coating to ensure their effectiveness. Also, if you saw areas of the roof that appeared to be sagging when in the attic, you will want to have someone take a look at those areas as well.

3. Next up to inspect are the flashing and gutters around the roof.

4. Check for any loosely attached downspouts and make sure everything is working effectively.

5. Check to make sure all the gutters are not clogged or leaking. If you have trouble recognizing leaks like this, you can try pouring some water down the roof to test the gutters and downspouts. You will also want to inspect the flashing around the chimneys, vents, and walls. If there are any problems with the flashing, you will want to get them fixed or replaced.

Further Assistance

Certified roof inspectors are paid to recognize breakdowns and faults in your roof, so ensure this doesn’t happen by following this checklist. If you would like to have a roofer help you repair your roof, consider using TalkLocal to find a roofing company for you. TalkLocal is a free service that will connect you with top-quality, reputable roofing professionals in your neighborhood within minutes. Just enter in your specific problem, location and availability, and up to three companies will call YOU directly, saving you the time and stress of finding one yourself.

This entry was updated on Tuesday, July 14th, 2015 at 2:03 pm. This entry was originally posted on Sunday, March 10th, 2013 at 6:00 am and is filed under Roofers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.