Roof Repairs:
Hidden Issues From Atoms To Eaves

Peter G. Miller, OurBroker®

One of the most visible and expensive components of any home is the roof, a combination of materials and construction designed to protect homes from rain, wind, snow, and fire.

Most of us rate roofs on the basis of whether they leak, how they look, and the remaining life expectancy of the materials used. These are useful measures, but they do not tell as much as we need to know.

As an example, there is much attention given to roof warranties. You are told that your shiny new shingles, be they organic or inorganic, are guaranteed for 15, 20, or 25 years and this information is very re-assuring -- but not quite the whole story.

Material failure -- how atoms are bonded together -- is not a substantial issue in many areas. Properly applied roofing materials seem to last as long or longer than limited warranties. Fiberglass shingles typically have a higher fire retardant level ("A") than organic shingles ("C"). But if that fiberglass does not meet the industry standard, ASTM D3462, then don't be surprised by early cracks and leaks.

So why do roofs leak? I asked Michael P. Lennon, president HomePro, a service that has performed some 350,000 inspections across the U.S. and Canada. The answers were surprising.

• One reason is workmanship, not materials. The best materials in the world are useless if not properly installed. Add a new layer of roofing with nails that do not fully or firmly attach to the underlying wood, and the first strong wind will lift shingles and raise havoc.

• A second problem relates to "flashing." Flashing is the material used in corners, valleys, angles, and against items that poke through the roof such as chimneys. If flashing is not correctly installed, nearby shingles may well be in great shape for the next 30 years - and yet the house will leak each time it rains.

How do you know if flashing needs repairs? Part of a home inspection should be a careful examination of the roof -- this means in most cases that the inspector has a ladder and physically walks on the top of the home.

There are exceptions to roof-climbing. Some roofs are so decrepit that it is neither safe nor wise to climb them -- an inspection can actually harm the surface. (I know about this -- I once fell through a roof I was repairing. Happily, the structure was a barn and I landed in the hayloft.)

Another exception concerns tall and steep roofs. With such homes the right approach is to get a truck, a big ladder, and a crew to raise it. This is an additional inspection expense, but worth it.

Townhouses are a third exception. External repairs are usually a cost for the condo association and not the individual homeowner. The unit owner pays for such repairs over time as the association sets aside money for reserves. Townhouse roofs are typically examined from the ground and internally through the attic.

For more information, check out these roofing resources online:

• HomePro -- a national home inspection organization.

• The National Roofing Contractors Association has a site which includes useful consumer information.

• The Roofing Mall claims to be "the largest roofing source on the Web."

Question Of The Week

Q We want to purchase a home using FHA financing but have now discovered that the loan amount available under FHA varies according to where the property is located. Where can we find local FHA loan limits online?

A While challenged in recent years by a variety of private sector mortgage programs, government's FHA 203(b) mortgage plan is a loan option to consider, especially for those with little down payment cash.

There are two ways to find local FHA loan limits for the popular 203B program.

First, we can consider that FHA loan amounts are limited to 95 percent of area median home prices in your area but not more than 75 percent of the Freddie Mac conforming loan limit -- $227,150 as of this writing, but subject to change each year. Higher FHA loan limits apply in Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and the Virgin Islands.

Or, we can put away those slide rules and calculators. You can quickly look up the FHA loan limit for your area by going to the FHA Loan Limit Locator.

Weekly Resource

If you want to follow newspapers and are not sure where to find them, check out Newspapers Online. You can not only find links to daily papers nationwide, but also college, religious, and business publications.

Mr. Miller welcomes your questions, comments, news releases, and suggestions. He can be reached by e-mail at OurBroker.

Editorial Notice: Content on this page reflects the opinions of Mr. Miller only and not necessarily the views of any publication, organization or website owner.

Published: June 2, 1998

Use of this article without permission is a violation of federal copyright laws.