What to Look For in a Roof When Buying a Home
The process of looking for a new home can be an exhilarating time. You get to move into a new area of and meet some new neighbors. When purchasing a new home, you may get distracted by new things you can do at this house or what additions you can add to the house to make it truly yours. Before you start having these thoughts, you must first take a larger look at the house. How is the health of the house? Are there many repairs needed to be done? How does the roof appear? Does the house need to be repainted? What does the plumbing look like?
Probably the most important question from these is, what does the roof look like? The roof is what protects your family and all of your belongings. Depending on the roof you may be looking at getting a whole new roof, just a few repairs or nothing at all. That’s why it is important to have a roofing expert come over to the house for an inspection on the health of the roof. Also depending on what stage of the contract signing your one you may be able to negotiate the price of the house down if the roof is in need of repairs or replacement. There are a few steps that you can take to check the overall health of the roof that Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration can guide you through.
Knowing the Old Roof
The first thing you should do when you start looking at buying a new house is to look at the roof from a distance. When you do this look to see if there is any moss growing on the roof. Are there parts where you can see missing shingles? Is the roof sagging from one side to another? Is there a depression in the roof? Are there shingles buckling or curling?
You should talk with the previous homeowner and ask them how old the roof is. Ask them if there has been any leaks or weather damage that they have experienced while living at home. This way you can figure out what steps to take with the current roof. Hopefully, it is made up of composite shingles as these tend to last longer without much difficulty if the roof is made up of different materials it may require annual inspection and maintenance.
Ventilation System
You may not think it, but having a good ventilation system is an absolute must for having a healthy roof. The ventilation system lets in sunlight and air so that there is not a buildup of moisture or stagnant air. This helps protect against and prevent the formation of mold and mildew in the roof, which can cause the deterioration of the roof and the overall structure – not to mention the health effects it could cause to your family.
Drainage System and Valleys
You should check the drainage or the seepage system of the roof. This is the gutters, downspouts and drainage pipes. You should make sure not only are they intact but is there any rotting or mold around these areas. Also, you should be looking in the gutters for the small grains that make up the shingles; these help protect the shingles from the rays of the sun and harsh weather. Check the downspouts as well to ensure that the water is being released into stormwater wells and not straight into the ground. Ask the previous owner if there has been excessive flooding or water flowing around on the rooftop downspouts. They may just need to be cleaned, or they could be the wrong size which means they should be replaced before any more damage is caused.
You should also check the canals and valleys of the roof. Is there damage to this area such as missing shingles or grains, balding of the shingles or any tears in the valley? This could be damage can cause the roof to leak and allow moisture to settle in between the roof and the planks.
Breaks and Leaks
Having even the smallest leak can cause damage to the roof and overall structure of the house, not to mention your valuables. It can be tough to find the area of the roof that is leaking that’s why it’s important to call a professional to inspect the roof before purchase. The next best thing you can do is to ask the previous owner of where he may have seen any leaks. Another way of telling to see if there are any leaks in the area is if there are any cracks or breaks in the roof. If you can find these trouble spots before your purchase, it can save you a lot of headaches, as well as your valuables.
Look out for Mold
Mold is the fungus that grows from a poor ventilation system and water leakage; this usually happens in warmer climates. The ones you can see are different colors dark, green, white, and black and different shapes. This is possibly one of the most dangerous forms of destruction that your roof can sustain, this is because some kinds of mold cannot be seen unless you dig into the roofing and structure.
A lot of times the mold is caught and treated, but the cause of the problem is overlooked so the leaking continues and the mold grows back again. Another issue is that the mold can start to grow into the walls or paint which not only leads to the deterioration of the overall house but it can make the house unlivable due to the smell and health effects. Most roofing experts use and infrared camera to find the areas where the mold has accumulated so that it can be treated.
Purchasing a new home for you and your family is a very exciting adventure and one that you should take your time. Making sure that everything thing is in order and to your liking. That means having a roof inspection too. Pinnacle Roofing and Restoration has the experience and knowledgeable team to assist you in your housing inspections. As well as provide any other residential roofing services that you need, we provide free evaluations. So don’t worry; whether you need just a few repairs to an existing roof or completely new roof, we’ve got your back.