Do you need roof inspection?

Mon, 08/08/2011 - 15:45 — MikeSedillo

The answer is a definite yes. I do a roof inspection when I inspect a home. Most of the time I actually walk the roof but in some cases I don't.
If a roof is an older concrete, terra-cota, slate, or other breakable roof I don't walk on it because I don't want to break tiles. They break quite easily when a roof is old and even sometimes when the roof is not that old. Anybody that walks on your roof has a good chance of breaking tiles. TV dish installers do it occasionally. Do you think that when they break tiles they tell you and ask for you to send them the bill for repairing the broken tiles? Not likely. Are you going to go check to see if any tiles were broken after somebody mounts your roof. Not likely.

So how do I get my roof inspected if I don't allow anybody to walk on it to inspect it? Two ways: When I inspect a home with a tile roof, I get on a ladder and look at it for signs of defects like broken tiles, slipped tiles, missing tiles, and missing flashing. If I see any instances of this I take a photo and put it in my report. The second way of inspecting a roof is from the attic. I go into the attic and I look for signs that it might be leaking or may have leaked in the past. If your roof leaks there will probably be water stains somewhere.

The best way to gain assurance of the true condition of your roof and to guard against buying a house that may have roof problems is to get a roof inspection from a licensed roofing contractor that will offer you a warranty with a specific time period, two to five years or so. Roofing contractors know best how to walk on delicate roofs and if they break something the'll fix it because for one they know how and two, they don't want it to leak and then have to pay for it when you call for warranty work.

Other roofs that are asphalt shingles and other materials are not so touchy and inspecting them not so trecherous.

Roofing contractor roof inspections can often be free because roofers can usually find something that at least needs maintenace on your roof, like dried roof mastic that has cracked in the sun, or slipped and missing tiles. Good quality inspections with a warranty can cost somewhere around $200. but of course to get the 2 or 3 year warranty you must have the deficiencies corrected. It's worth looking into if you're buying a house where the roof condition might be suspect. Call me at 949 728 8292
if you're are buying a home and need an need a home inspection in Huntington Beach, a home inspection in Costa Mesa, a home inspection in Mission Viejo, a home inspection in San Clemente, or a home inspection in Santa Ana.

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Sun, 08/09/2015 - 20:12 — MikeSedillo

Inspecting Flippers

I come across a lot of flippers and there are some differences in them that are worth noting. First of all, they are usually freshly painted inside and out. Now it's not always true that they painted them to hide stuff, like water stains from leaks, but that is a possibility.

Whether or not the home is a flipper or not I ALWAYS look carefully at plumbing under sinks, behind refrigerators, laundry plumbing, toilet plumbing, and water purification equipment. I also run dishwashers and I check the flexible tubing under the sink and I check the air-gap device plumbing for leakage.

Many of the flipper daddies specialize in the application of lipstick. They install new cabinets and counter tops, new doors and door casings and new base floor moldings along with new floors. They paint with the latest fashionable colors and install new white electrical outlets and light switches. This is the first stuff you see when you walk into a house and it's sure to make a good first impression that lasts.

One of the most telling areas to spot a "blow-n-go" flipper is to look in the attic. Flippers like to add can lights and when they use a real (licensed) electrician, it shows immediately in how they leave the attic when they're done. If he strings the Romex wiring like Christmas tree lighting, you know he's just a handyman who thinks he's an electrician. Licensed electricians put connections into junction boxes and fasten wiring to framing in an orderly fashion.

And if a flipper is more that a cosmetologist he'll also update the electrical panel and the plumbing where you can't see it knowing that a good thorough home inspector will come along and kill the deal when he looks a little closer and finds corroded angle stop valves and deteriorated galvanized plumbing under the house.

That's why it's good use an inspector that is also a general contractor. A GC will see the tell-tale signs almost immediately.

Homes in southern California are expensive. Why use a bargain priced inspector to inspect a house your spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on? You're buying a house for $400k to $900k or more and your using a $200 inspector? One item a good inspector discovers can save you $1000 or $5000 easy, even more on many issues.

I'm like you and I want to save money too. I shop extensively when I buy stuff but I don't shop for experts that are cheap because there is no such thing as a cheap expert. Look for an expert when you shop for home inspector.