Selling a home can be a very stressful process. Let Independence Roofing help to make the process of selling your home as smooth as possible. Most buyers will have a Home Inspection done once under contract to find any potential problems with your home. Let us Identify and correct these issues on your roof prior to the inspection to avoid holding up your sale. Below we have the main issues that a competent home inspector will discover and disclose to the buyer. Most issues can be resolved by repair but more neglected roofs require full replacement before a home will sell.
Improper Chimney Flashing
Improperly flashed chimneys will usually have visual water damage on the roof deck that can be seen from the attic. Excessive tar and caulk splattered around the chimney are dead giveaways that the homeowner tried to stop a leak by the least expensive way possible. These repairs usually do not last long.
Pipe Jack Problem
A pipe jack collar or soil stack boot is the most common leak point on any home. The rubber boot will deteriorate over time due to age and sun exposure allowing a slow drip in to the attic along the soil pipe. High winds and downpours can allow more water into the house.
Damaged Ridge Cap Shingles
Extreme weather can cause damage to the ridge cap shingles. Thermal cracking on the cap is somewhat common on older roofs and is often noted on a home inspection. Cap shingles are sometimes blown off the roof and in many cases go undetected by the homeowner due to pitch and design of the home.
Improper Step Flashings
Step flashings must be used where any wall meets a pitched slope of a roof. Improperly installed step flashings often cause the wood on the wall and the deck of the roof to rot out. Many times the damage will be seen from the inside of the house .
Skylight Leaks
Skylight leaks are usually very obvious to the homeowner on the inside of the home. Some homeowners will try and paint over water damage on the interior of the home to conceal the damage temporarily to sell their home but once a home inspector examines the roof he will most likely find the problem. Homeowners may often pay a contractor to stop the leak by using large amounts of tar and caulk because it is cost effective but this is not the way to do a proper repair. Some skylights can last longer than others but the rule of thumb is that anything older than 20 years should be replaced soon.
Improperly pitched gutters
Gutters that are pitched incorrectly or filled with debris can cause gutters to overflow and lead to water penetrating the basement and in more extreme cases severe foundation and structural damage. Gutters that continue to have standing water in them can also cause the fascia or gutter board to rot out and no longer hold a fastener causing the gutter to fall completely off the house.
Missing Shingle Tabs
Missing shingle tabs will allow for nail heads to be exposed giving water a path into the home. Homes with several missing shingles can sometimes be candidates for an insurance claim often times ending in the insurance company completely replacing the roof.
Deteriorating Shingles
Shingles will deteriorate with age causing a loss of granular and cracking or cuping of the shingle. Many Home Inspectors will note that “the roof is at or beyond its lfie expectancy, seek further evaluation from a certified roofer”. This usually is the case for full roof replacement before the home sells.