We here at Howson Inspections service many areas in Texas including Marble Falls, Kingsland, Granite Shoals and all Highland Lakes District.
A Home Inspector is supposed to look for significant defects in the major systems of the house such as the roof, foundation, plumbing, electrical system, heating system as well as the structure itself. Cosmetic aspects of the house are not a factor.
The inspection should disclose any large defects in these areas which are the most expensive to repair. Certain things such as septic tank, termite or pest infestations are not part of the “general inspection” that we do but are conducted by other specialists.
The Roof
In breaking down each major section of the home inspection, let us start with the Roof.
The roof is an expensive system to replace. First of all, trying to determine whether or not the roof has leaks unless there has been recent rain can be difficult. Moisture stains that are visible in ceilings or attics may be several years old, thus making it hard to conclude that there is a current leak.
Moisture stains are closely noted in the inspection and when walking on the roof, the area of the stain is inspected very closely to see if there is an obvious leak source. Roofs that have repairs and patches are a sign of general roof decay or failure. The roof is inspected for its surface wear or misplaced shingles. As well as the condition of the underlying roof paper where it is in view and the flashing that is supposed to be installed around vents and chimneys and at any abutments into the building.
In some cases the approximate age of the roof can be obtained and this gives the buyer an idea of the state the roof is in and its life expectancy. We attempt to determine whether the roof is in the first, second or third stage of its expected lifetime.
In closing, the most common roof/gutter defect is lack of rain gutters with downspouts that can channel rain water wherever you want it to go – namely away from the structure.
