When home shopping, it can be easy to get caught up in the sizzle of the sale. Look at that kitchen! Well, the sizzle is great and all, but you need some steak as well. The quality of the roof on a home definitely counts as steak.
Checking out a roof may seem a difficult thing to do, but it really is not. You are looking for both basic general information as well as specific potential problem areas. The key is to know what you are looking at and what it means.
The first subject to consider is the appropriateness of the roofing material for the geographic area. If you live in an area that is threatened by brush or forest fires, a wood shingle roof is not really a good choice. Even treated wood will burn if things get hot enough.
Perhaps we should take a step back first. To really grasp the roofing issues, you need to know some things about roofs. There are many types of roofs, but a few are more common than most and likely to be the ones you run into.
When discussing roofs, the wood shingle variety has to be mentioned first. It was the standard bearer for many years and can last up to 30 years. Most last well short of that, so it is important to know you can expect to pay $10,000 or so to replace them.
A metal roof may seem like a perfect roof. In some cases it is, but it tends to require a lot of maintenance work. Expect to pay in the eleven to fourteen thousand dollar range to replace it. With good care, it will last thirty five years or so.
The most popular roof these days tends to be the tile version. It can last 50 years or more so long as you replace broken tiles. It costs between thirteen and seventeen grand to replace, but is fire resistant and water does not decay it.
When inspecting the roof, look for missing or broken pieces. They should not exist on a home for sale. If you see them, it means water may have penetrated into the underlying materials which can mean rot, mold and decay.
If the home has a wood shingle roof, there is a secret you can apply to gauge the condition of the roof. If the wood shingles bend up at the end, it is a bad sign. They are warping, which means the roof has serious problems. Do not buy this home!
Another area to consider is the flashing. This is the material, usually metal, that creates a water tight seal between the roof and other surfaces. If it is rusted, you need a very thorough inspection done because water is probably getting into it.
Now we head into the attic. Walk the length of the attic and look for stains on the boards of the underside of the roof. If you see them, there is a leak that needs to be repaired. Again, get a roofer out to inspect it.
Even in this nasty housing market, buying a home is a fairly smart idea. In fact, there may be no better time to buy than now given the low prices. Sellers are desperate, so make sure to take a close look at the roofs on homes to figure out what is what.
