When Inspecting a House To Purchase, Start From the Top
Posted: Thursday, November 13, 2008
by Jason Wier
Inspection Angel
Household roofs play an important role in protecting your home from the weather, it therefore requires particular attention when purchasing, and here are some areas to be aware of:
- Iron roofs may rust with time, pay close attention to irregularities in roof colour as these may indicate rust damage that has been painted over
- Check for any rust marks along the valleys, gutters and down pipes
- Look for faded colour on concrete tiles, this may indicate the need for new sealant.
- Look for cracked mortar pointing along the ridge, hip and valley tiles.
- Check for any water or rust stains on the timber and eave linings beneath the roof line
- Check that down pipes are connected to a storm water pipe at ground level and not just left to discharge rain water at the base of the house.
- Ageing roof tiles can have an unpredictable performance and quality, be careful of walking on any roof tiles as they may crack or break
- Concrete roof tiles in particular deteriorate with time, it is important to have your roof checked regularly by a professional and have a sealant applied.
- Clear any leaves from valleys, gutters and down pipes to prevent rust or overflow
If a roof appears in poor condition it can signal further maintenance issues throughout the house. A closer look at the whole building may be required by a professional to ensure that this neglect has not affected its core structure.
To find a professional building inspector service visit http://www.inspectionangel.com.au
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Top-level comments on this article: (1 total)Good information for what it was. I'm assuming that you are in Australia and the types of roofs mentioned are the most common in your area. I would have liked to see information on other types of roofs, like shingles, shakes, tar and gravel, spanish tile, etc.
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