Are you planning on buying a property in Marquette or somewhere else in the Upper Peninsula? If so, hiring a certified home inspector from U.P. Home Inspection LLC to conduct your roof inspection is your next best move.

Why would you want to hire a roof inspector?

Roof inspections verify a roof’s integrity so that you have an idea of its condition. Because replacing a roof can cost anywhere between $5,000-$10,000 (or more!), it’s vital to know what you’re working with before putting in an offer on a potential new property.

5 Top Issues Our Roof Inspectors Catch

Last week, we discussed some roofing issues that may be visible to you during a walkthrough. Still, in this blog, we’re delving a little deeper into the top roofing problems that are often only caught by a professional roofing inspector.

1. Flat roofing problems—With flat roofs, the most common problem that can’t be seen from the ground level are degradation and pooling. As you can see in the first picture, the buyer wouldn’t be able to see the degradation on this flat roof, but luckily your professional roof inspector will! It’s also evident that this roof has been repaired many times—a warning sign of potential additional problems.

In the next flat roof photo below, you will see a great deal of water pooling. You can also see numerous penetrations through the membrane because a 2×3 board was used to hold the membrane in place. When we looked under this membrane, the decking was heavily saturated with water and dripping through into the attic space. You can imagine what type of problems this can cause down the line.

2. Metal roofing problems—The photo below illustrates a low pitch to this metal roof, which means water will not quickly cascade off it. This becomes a problem when there is an inadequate or faulty seam. When a metal roof is sealed with silicone, and the seam starts to degrade, you’re looking at costly repairs.

3. Headwall flashing problems—This picture is a perfect example of improperly installed headwall flashing. You’ll notice the flashing travels up the sidewall, but it should have been installed under the shingles—not on top. As the buyer, you would never be able to see this type of problem from the ground.

4. Snow-related roofing problems—As we all know, living in the Upper Peninsula requires a lot of shoveling. When a roof doesn’t have a proper pitch, or it needs to be shoveled to alleviate the burden of weight, a lot of damage can happen. In the photo below, you will see where there is noticeable damage, exposed tar, and deep gashes from either shoveling or chipping away ice on this roof.

5. Missing aggregate—In this last photo, we can see what home inspectors call “granular loss.” This means the textured surface of your roof starts to crumble away, exposing the asphalt below.

When you hire a professional roof inspector to look at your property, you can expect them to examine your gutters for signs that the aggregate may be deteriorating. Here’s the interesting thing about aggregate loss—it may fall under your roof’s warranty. So, hiring a professional to take a look could be the catalyst for filing a warranty claim and avoiding a costly repair down the line.

Hire Your Professional Roof Inspector Today

Are you ready to get a better idea of what’s going on with your roof from a professional roof inspector? Give U.P. Home Inspection LLC a call at (906) 360-3879 today or schedule your inspection 24 hours a day, seven days a week HERE.

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