Buying The Roof With The Home
Buying a home should be an objective decision, to wit, is it a good investment. We all know there is an emotional element that can take over. This is okay so long as you pay attention to the fundamentals such as the condition of the roof.
Checking out a roof may seem a difficult thing to do, but it really is not. You are looking for both basic general information as well as specific potential problem areas. The key is to know what you are looking at and what it means.
The first subject to consider is the appropriateness of the roofing material for the geographic area. If you live in an area that is threatened by brush or forest fires, a wood shingle roof is not really a good choice. Even treated wood will burn if things get hot enough.
Perhaps we should take a step back first. To really grasp the roofing issues, you need to know some things about roofs. There are many types of roofs, but a few are more common than most and likely to be the ones you run into.
When discussing roofs, the wood shingle variety has to be mentioned first. It was the standard bearer for many years and can last up to 30 years. Most last well short of that, so it is important to know you can expect to pay $10,000 or so to replace them.
A metal roof may seem like a perfect roof. In some cases it is, but it tends to require a lot of maintenance work. Expect to pay in the eleven to fourteen thousand dollar range to replace it. With good care, it will last thirty five years or so.
At the top of the list these days is the clay tile roof. It has become popular for a couple of reasons. First, fire does not really damage it. Second, water cannot rot it. Throw in a life span of 60 years or more, and the only downside is a replacement cost in the $15,000 range.
When inspecting the roof, look for missing or broken pieces. They should not exist on a home for sale. If you see them, it means water may have penetrated into the underlying materials which can mean rot, mold and decay.
If the home has a wood shingle roof, there is a secret you can apply to gauge the condition of the roof. If the wood shingles bend up at the end, it is a bad sign. They are warping, which means the roof has serious problems. Do not buy this home!
Where the roof intersects with other items such as a pole sticking through it, metal flashing is used to keep a water tight seal. If you see flashing pulled away from a surface or just missing, the roof has problems and will also need repairs. Make the seller pay for them.
Now we head into the attic. Walk the length of the attic and look for stains on the boards of the underside of the roof. If you see them, there is a leak that needs to be repaired. Again, get a roofer out to inspect it.
It can be easy to get caught up in the euphoria of buying a home. This is understandable, but do not forget the basics. If you do, you risk buying what seems to be a gem, but is really a lemon.