Friday, December 7, 2012

Slate Roofing


A caller several weeks ago inquired about inspecting a home with a slate roof.  The caller had been told by previous home inspectors that she had contacted that a separate inspection was necessary, and that it needed to be performed by a specialist in slate roofing.  She evidently had bought this suggestion hook, line, and sinker.

The truth is, any competent home inspector should be able to inspect a slate roof.  In this particular circumstance, the roof appeared to be an artificial, or manufactured, slate roof.  The roof shingles likely contained asbestos, based on the age and appearance of the shingles, and the rear of the house had been re-roofed using laminated asphalt shingles.

Slate roofs are not difficult to inspect if the home inspector is competent and knowledgeable regarding slate and manufactured slate roofs.  The inspection process itself is very similar to the inspection of any other type of roof; investigating for signs of damage or leaks, looking for missing or loose shingles, investigating for signs of improper installation or alteration, and so forth.

If a home inspector is properly trained, there should be no need for an additional roof inspection during the home inspection process.  The roof should be inspected as part of any competent home inspection.  Substantive training in home inspection will include slate roofing, so a good home inspector will be able to inspect and report on the condition of a typical slate roof.

No comments:

Post a Comment