If you’re buying a home in Oregon’s crazy real estate market, congratulations! You may want to know a thing or two about roof inspections in Salem, and as expert Salem roofers, we would love to teach you a few things to look for when you’re buying a new home. In many of Salem’s new developments, home builders have been known to use cheaper roofing and decking materials to get the job done as affordably as possible. What this means is that if you’re looking to buy a 15-20 year old house, the roof could very well be on its last limbs. Even if you’re buying a custom-built, older, or otherwise high quality property, you should inspect the roof for damages. The last thing you want to do is spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on a new home, then get stuck with a roof replacement bill that could cost tens of thousands of dollars within the next year or two.
- Look for general signs of wear and aging in the roofing material
This would include dents (from hail), missing granules on shingles, holes in roofing material, severe discoloration, tears in the roofing material, or anything else that appears to be outside of the norm. - Look for signs of rot in the soffits and fascia boards
Look up at the soffits and fascia boards for any signs of rot, discoloration, or holes. If the soffits or fascia boards are damaged, chances are there’s a roof leak or another moisture problem, perhaps with the roofing ventilation. - Check for roof sagging
If the roof is sagging, you’ll almost certainly want to ask the seller to replace the roof. Chances are, the roof has moisture issues, which is warping and damaging the decking underneath. Not only will the roof need to be replaced, but the plywood decking underneath will likely also need to be replaced. - Inspect the gutters
If the gutters are separating from the roof or appear to be damaged in any other way, the roof could have a drainage problem that has caused this damage. This could have already created a problem with the roof itself, or it is actively contributing towards a problem with the roof. Either way, you will want the roof to be a point of negotiation. It is possible the gutters just need to be cleaned and tightened back up to the roof if they have been neglected. - Look for signs of shoddy work
When I was looking at display homes in Geelong, I met a guy who gave me some tips for buying a pre owned home. He said that if the homeowner recently had the roof redone, they could have gone with the lowest bid and worked with roofing contractors that cut corners. Look for exposed nails (you will be able to see them shine on a sunny day), poorly caulked vents, pipes, and skylights, and crooked roofing shingles. If the roof was installed poorly, chances are it won’t last its full lifetime, so the replacement cost should be a consideration in your negotiations.
If you don’t feel comfortable inspecting your own roof, give your local roofing contractors in Salem a call at (503) 585-2338 to inspect the home for you.