Roof Inspection is a Critical Piece of the Buying Decision

Roof inspection is important for making the right home buying decision. In a lot of areas many lenders even require that sellers get the roof inspected prior to giving money for a house. However, if you are not getting a loan, it might be wise for you to hire an inspector prior to purchasing. This is particularly critical in areas of the country that get snowfall.

Why?
This is because potential issues can be found immediately and fixed prior to you moving in. Otherwise, you could have more serious problems down the road by letting things go.

What do roofing inspectors do?
When they look at the roof, at first they will make certain that the roof’s overall structure is sound. The inspection generally will be done on the inside and outside of the house, to look over every part of the roof.

The first part of the search will include a thorough examination the exterior parts of the roof (i.e. gutters, flashing points, shingles, chimneys, etc.). During the search, they look for weather wear and abuse. They might also examine the surface material if the roof is older, to see how brittle it is. They will probably search for settlement issues if the roof is more recent.

On the inside, they will probably go to the attic. From here, they will look for intake vents that might be blocked. They might also search through the attic interior to see if there is moisture and dry rot on the inside of the attic, as this could potentially signal problems.

If the attic has insulation, the inspection company might look at the R-Value. This simply measures the roof’s resistance to heat coming through it. It essentially tells you if the insulation is doing its’ job.

In other words, these inspections are quite thorough and can take quite a long time. However, having one done is probably important before moving into a house. Otherwise, you could end up paying more money down the road.

How to find the best inspection company
One of the best options is to look them up with the Better Business Bureau and see if there have been any complaints filed. If so, find out what the nature of the complaints were, and how quickly they responded. There is nothing wrong with a few complaints here and there, but check and see what kind of complaints they were.

Getting a roof inspection is important before moving into a home. Otherwise, you could end up paying more money down the road.