Completely exposed to the world.

My intention here is to share how we assess a home when we arrive for a site visit.

With that in mind let's imagine we have just parked in the driveway. The checklist is already a quarter of the way filled out (we will get to other portions of the checklist later) but today we are going to focus on the roof. 

The way I like to look at it is from the roof down to the foundation then out and beyond.

So let's start at the top:

ROOF the roof is not on fire!

☐ Roof material-                                                                                                                Composite- Looking for loose or missing shingles, if looking at a composite (aka asphalt) roof and it looks “hairy” or has a fuzzy cobweb look it's time to replace the roofing.                                                                                             

Metal / Tile- The better option for roofing. Some things to look out for are missing flashing along edges and any gaps that could allow or trap embers between the roofing and the building materials underneath.                                                                                            

Wood shingles = nope 

☐ Clean roof surface-                                                                                                            looking for leaves / tree debris in the roof valleys, stuck behind plumbing vents or solar mounting brackets, or up against adjoining walls. 

☐Drip edge flashing- (on composite roofs)                                                                         Is it installed? This is the metal flashing on the gable side where the house trim meets the roofing. Its purpose is to keep wind-blown embers from being trapped between the wood trim and the roofing. Possibly igniting the trim boards after being caught between.  

☐ Clean gutters-                                                                                                                  Typically a ladder is needed for this inspection but some telltale signs of unclean gutters from the safety of the ground include.                                                                                  1. No gutter guards (they work).                                                                                             2. Weeds growing from gutters.                                                                                              3. Rusting steel gutters as the build-up of debris causes water to be held.                             4. Vinyl gutters = nope                  

☐ Gutter guards-                                                                                                                   looking to see if they are installed, if so what type. Gutter guards come in all shapes and sizes from, foam triangle inserts to cylindrical drop-ins or plastic/vinyl gutter toppers.        What we are looking for is a metal gutter topper with 1/8th inch or smaller holes (preferably stainless steel screen) properly installed and secured.

The roof of a home takes a lot of abuse from the elements. It is also the portion of the home completely exposed to the world and burning embers. Keep it and its components clean and clear, to give your home a fighting chance. 

We invite you to call, text or set up a time for a site visit. We will come walk around your home and property with you to help you have a better understanding of Home Hardening and the actions you and we can take to up-date and protect your home.  Call or text, no smoke signals please. :).