A 4 point inspection may not be as in depth as a full home inspection but it can still reveal quite a lot about your home. Now we would like to take a look at one of these points in depth. It just so happens to be of the most important parts of your home: the roof.
The Importance Of The Roof
On a typical 4 point inspection form you will find that the roof is generally the most comprehensive section. There’s a good reason for this: the roof is fundamental to your homes structure. When you have a damaged or poorly built roof issues ranging from poor energy efficiency to mold to structural damage can arise. So, what makes for a good roof? What are we looking for when we fill out that inspection report?
What We Look For In A Roof
Assessing the quality of a roof depends on many factors including:
- The age of the roof
- Visible signs of damage
- Soft spots and visible signs of leakage
- The shape of the roof (pitched, hip, gable etc.)
The age of the roof can tell you a lot by itself. Much like everything else in a home the roof has a limited lifespan. Your average roof with asphalt shingles will need to be replaced after about 20 years. Visible signs of damage that we look for include things like cracked shingles, curling shingles, and missing shingles.
Signs of water damage is a good indication that your roof isn’t doing its job properly. Water is supposed to naturally flow off of the roof and into your gutters to be carried away from the foundation. A poorly constructed roof or a roof of a certain shape may end up with several spots where water simply pools. Eventually this water can work its way into your home and cause serious damage.
Finally we come to the shape of your roof, which is much more of a concern than you may think. Roof shape isn’t just a matter of aesthetics it also impacts how well your roof sheds water and stands up to severe weather. The right roof shape can even save you money on your insurance. The most structurally sound, at least when it comes to standing up against wind, style of roof is the hip roof.
The roof is just one aspect of a 4 point inspections, but arguably it’s the most important. Although it’s smaller in scope than a full home inspection a 4 point inspection can still reveal issues with a home that you wouldn’t know otherwise. If you’ve already made a decision on what home to buy and you’re looking for the next step then it’s probably time to schedule a 4 point inspection.
At Super Inspection Pros our licensed inspectors have years experience performing efficient 4 point inspections. We’ve worked with many insurance providers so we know how to tailor our reports to get you the best results possible. Please contact us today to learn more about our inspection process or to schedule a 4 point inspection for your home.
