INSPECTING
SLOPED
ROOFS
by Ron Passaro
How to spot current or future
problems when inspecting
residential steep roofs
I have been a full-time home inspector
for the last seventeen years. Prior to
that, I was a building contractor and
before that, I earned my living as a
carpenter. What I have tried to do in
this article is share with you some of the
things I have come across over the years
when inspecting different types of
sloped roofs and their flashings.
Using care in putting on a roof initially
—snapping lines, choosing long
enough nails, applying seal-tab or selfsealing
strips—will all result in a better
roof.
On closer inspection, a number of
other clues present themselves which
might indicate roofing problems. Loss
of