How to Appraise a Roof Condition

Check for any leaks on the interior of your home. If you are already have leaks showing up through the ceiling of a room, you may have already located the culprit. But you still need to enter the attic of your home and visually inspect the underside of the roof to determine exactly where the leak is. From there, you can see how much interior damage has already been caused and whether a costly renovation is required.

Inspect the condition of any flashing wrapping around chimneys, HVAC units, vents, valley sections of the roof, ridge caps, drip edges or any area in which there is flashing installed. Flashing is generally installed with silicone, tar or some type of waterproof adhesive to protect the inside corners of your roof from leaks, and if it has come loose or was improperly installed, it will need to be repaired.

Look for warning signs of deteriorating roof materials. For example, if you have wood shingles, look for mold or decay and edges that might be splitting or curling, causing the shingles to separate or no longer shed water. If you have roofing tiles, check the concrete between the tiles for crumbling areas. If you have normal composition shingles, look for areas that might have been damaged by hail or been blown off by the wind if not enough adhesive was used during the installation.

Check the gutter system to see if there is any blockage that could be causing water to back up and spill over onto the edge of the roof, thus rotting out the eaves of the house. The gutters are part of the overall roof, and if they are backed up, the water can cause damage not only from rot, but also during a freeze/thaw cycle in which the water will expand during winter. When this happens, shingles can pop up off the roof, starting a chain reaction in which additional shingles may blow off during high winds.