Appraisers and Home
Inspectors often make notes about the condition of a roof when they
are filling out their reports that may cause concern. Lenders, Municipalities and Home Buyers
often request roofing certifications due to these conditions.
We provide inspection certifications for soundness and life expectancy of 2
years or more. All inspection reports that we are unable to
certify
include photos and sketches to better document our findings and what
needs to be completed prior to certification.
We are usually able to
include a budget figure for repairs and replacement cost. All Roofing Inspections by
Certified Property Inspections, Inc are performed using FHA
Guidelines and ASHI
Standards.
What is an Roofing
Certification for lending purposes? We need to be able
to mark the box on the form that states; "I certify the entire
roof surface, including all roofing and flashing has been closely
visually examined and find that the roof is in good condition for
it's age, does not leak and has an estimated remaining useful life
of over 2 years."
What should be done before the inspector goes to the property? The inspector will need access to the attic area of the building and
the garage, as well as access to the roof area itself. You should
make sure there are no missing, loose or broken shingles, temporary
patches or anything covering the roofing surface. The vents needs to
be clear and all flashing should be in place and properly secured
and/or sealed. If there was an active leak(s) that has been
repaired, it would help to provide some form of proof that the
repair was done. Minor maintenance and/or repair recommendations are
usually made verbally.
What should I do if the
roof is covered with snow? The roof
covering must be visible for a proper inspection. The inspector will
inspect all items except the roof covering and wait for a call
stating that the snow has melted and the roof covering is visible.
This process can sometimes be helped along by keeping the inside
hatch to the attic open allowing heat from the house to enter the
attic or shoveling the snow off the roof. HUD will also allow an
escrow of 1.5% of the property value.
What are the most common
problems found during an Roofing Certification Inspection? The number one problem is loose, missing and broken shingles. Loose
or missing flashing is the next most common problem. Temporary
patches and repairs are also common. When shingles are worn they
show excessive signs of cracking, mineral shedding and blistering
and need to be replaced to be certified for more than two years.
Will I be able to have a new roof covering
put on top of the old one? The
answer is yes and no. You can generally put a new roof covering on
top of a roofing system that has one or two previous layers. This
depends on the condition of the existing shingles and roofing
structure, the weight of the shingles and local codes. A roof that
has three covers on it will need to be stripped down to the roofing
boards prior to installing a new covering.
Roofing Related Links
We
hope you find the following links helpful:
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