Inspections

Your roofing and siding are the Secret Service of your property. They protect everything inside from rough weather, severe temperatures, and pests, but are easily forgotten during property maintenance. To ensure your roofing and siding maintain their stature as they protect year after year, it’s important to have inspections performed.

Roofing and siding inspections are also especially important when looking at a new property. It can save you from making a huge mistake in purchasing a property needing major repairs. In today's market, many people are choosing to waive general property inspections before buying. If you’ve recently purchased a property you should schedule a roofing and siding inspection right away. Your new property may be operating on a very short timeline as some less reputable sellers choose to capitalize on the market's incredible demand.

Catching What a General Inspection Can't

Most general property inspections include roofing and siding inspection, it is a critical part of your property after all. But a general inspection won’t be as thorough, especially on rooves, where many inspections are conducted from the ground, not on the roof itself.

Our professionals will have more insight into exterior issues on your property than a general inspector. Also, many general property inspectors won't look around for pests. We consider pests a primary concern when looking at roofing and siding as some of them can cause immense damage if left alone.

The wide range of roofing and siding materials in use today demands knowledge and hands-on experience to properly assess their condition. Every kind of exterior material comes with its own advantages, disadvantages, and installation challenges that our team is familiar with but a general inspector may not be.

When it's Time to Schedule an Inspection

There are many different reasons to schedule an inspection of your roofing or siding not related to buying a property. But the most common ones we see are because a leak was noticed and there is concern about its origin. Or there was a strong wind that blew through, and it seems like there could be debris or damage to the property.

Ideally, roof inspections should be scheduled every three to five years regardless of larger events like leaks and wind. It’s best to schedule a roofing or siding inspection either in the early fall or early spring, as these seasons become especially wet as they go on. By conducting regular inspections, problems are caught before they become more expensive repairs down the road.

What we are Looking for During an Inspection

On the outside of your property, our focus is on the materials used and checking for damage, missing materials, staining or rust, plant growth, or water damage. We'll also check for cracks, leaks, or pests under eaves and flashing. Most defects we find are due to either poor installation, problems with the materials themselves, impacts, or bugs. We'll look closely at any openings as these are common problem areas and we'll check to make sure a water barrier is in place behind the exterior materials.

The interior portion of our inspection will look for any signs of damage that aren’t visible from the outside. We will check ceilings, attics, and walls throughout the inside of your property. We are looking for water stains, wood rot, mold, holes, pests, and any light shining into your attic space.

Inspection Completed

Once our inspection is complete, we will present you with a full report of our findings. If at all possible, we will take you around your property with us to point out the signs of damage or the problem areas that we noticed. Don't worry, we won't try to bring you onto the roof with us.

Our final report will explain the exterior materials condition, our recommended repairs, any areas where we fear things are failing, and how much longer the roofing and siding are expected to last. And finally, we will provide you with a rough estimate to fix any problems we've discovered.

This Doesn't Sound so Bad. Can't I do it Myself?

Checking your siding on your own for obvious issues is simple enough. The same goes if you see holes in your roof from the ground. But to do a proper inspection and ensure nothing is missed you should leave it to one of our professionals.

If you happen to have a fairly flat roof, it’s possible to get onto the roof to hunt for damage or missing materials. You could also scale a ladder and try to inspect your siding. However, just because you can scramble onto a roof or dance on top of a tall ladder, doesn't mean you should. Proper safety equipment and tools are a must even for an inspection. With all the right gear, it is still dangerous to attempt to work on any roof without experience.