For my sweetie it is when the smoke alarm goes off!
But today's blog is about a different kind of "toast."
EVERYONE buying a home wants to know about the roof.
Makes perfect sense----after all, it protects everything else. They want to know how old it is, what condition it is in, how long it is going to last etc.
All types of roofs have a life expectancy which can run (on the low end) from 6-10 years for roll-roofing to over a hundred years for some slate roofs. All of these expectancies can be greatly reduced by environmental conditions such as hail and tornadoes (as Arkansas Barbara can attest), poor installation, and factory defects.
It isn't always easy for an inspector to provide "definitive" answers to these questions, but with experience, most can provide some useful direction regarding the life of the roof. While there is a large gulf, between when the roof is new, and when it is---as they say---"toast," which can be quite unpredictable, the "toast" part is really quite easy.
Here are several pictures of roofs that don't need an inspector's keen eye. The inspector would be better advised spending his or her time looking at the interior of the home----and for the "consequences" of the obvious conditions of these roofs.
The first two pictures are roofs that have many layers of asphalt shingles over the original wood shingles. These will be very expensive roofs to replace because of all the layers that must be stripped away and new sheathing installed before the new roof can be installed.
Notice the grey areas that "sort of looks better" than the dark curly areas on this badly deteriorated roof? This is where the shingles have completely fallen away, exposing the upper half of the shingles. Some of the original tan color is still present in other areas.
Anyone think the roof in this next picture will get a 5 year cert?
So now that we know what "toast" looks like---you will be able to take the next step into the "Twilight Zone" between New-----and Toast.
Charles Buell
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PS, for those of you that are new to my blog (or for some other "unexplained" reason have never noticed)
all pictures and smiley-face inserts (emoticons) (when I use them) have messages that show up when you point at them with your cursor.
My WORDLESS WEDNESDAY pictures and some selected POEMS & STORIES.
Yep, unemployed roofers need to move to tornado alley, Arkansas, for permanent jobs. : )
Beautiful pics. You always post creative topics that make us all laugh.
Barbara, like I have said before----you can keep your tornados
J Brandon, If I can make you laugh----I have done my job:)
Wow.....Them roofs are TOASTED. I'm amazed that someone would be considering buying them in that condition.
Sean Allen
Sean,sooner or later all roofs have to be replaced-----I would hope (unless there were a lot of related issues due to the poor roof) that the condition wouldn't deter anyone from buying a house they really wanted. If you have a 500,000 dollar house that needs a 12,000 dollar roof is that a deal breaker? I guess it all depends on the buyers pocket book:)
Those roofs are burnt toast that fell on the floor butter side down. LOL
You are right about the roof issues Charles. For people on a tight budget, replacing the roof can be a deal breaker for them...
Charlie,
I agree with all you say EXCEPT I am amazed at the number of buyers who could stand in the yard, look at any one of the three roofs and ask with a straight face how many more years they could get from it. Now, it they saw the hole most would know that needed to be fixed. So many things we inspectors think are intuitive are missed by the public. I think I am the same way about tread on my tires. Eventually I notice that I roll through stop signs....by all the honking of others...but it is not something I think about. New tires, wow...that costs money.
Kevin, I will "toast" to that!
Michael, some of these are so bad, it seems like the agent would have steered they away before calling for an inspection if their budget was that tight.
Steve, if "common sense" was common----we wouldn't have to teach it:)