Design Flaws and NACHI's Homeowners Guide...

[David Sorge]

Page 26 of NACHI's Homeowners guide states...

Any part of the roof that does not discharge (run-off) directly is said to have a design flaw AND...any point where run-off has to change direction to leave the roof is also a design flaw.

Please tell me you're kidding. Every higher end property I inspect has a complicated roof design that usually has one if not several direction changes. Since I'm giving out these books with every inspection, technically speaking I have to write up these direction changes as flaws or can be found liable if one leaks.

I completely agree that direction changes are a bad idea but a design flaw?

Am I alone in my thinking here?

[Nick Gromicko]

Do you have a link to the guide?

[David Sorge]

No link...It's InterNACHI's Homeowners Guide...Manual for A Happy Home. I always order them from the NACHI store and give them out with inspections.

Thanks for the quick response.

[James H. Bushart]

It would depend upon who designed it. A homeowner who designs and adds his own wing to a house and creates these roofing conditions has certainly erred.

When an engineer has submitted his plans and drawings to an AHJ who has approved them....and the roof was built according to this plan.....it would take another professional engineer to declare the design "flawed".

[Nick Gromicko]

InterNACHI is not the author and not the publisher. Contact Keith Swift at www.keithswift.com

[David Sorge]

It has a I-NACHI and CalNACHI seal on the front cover. 3-hole punched...80 pages

[David Sorge]

Originally Posted by gromicko

InterNACHI is not the author and not the publisher. Contact Keith Swift at www.keithswift.com

I'll do that...thanks Nick. Do you see what I mean though..how such a statement can cause a problem?

I love the books and the price is awesome so I'll surely keep issuing them, but I need some advice on how to handle the situation in the event of a leak in one of those areas and the client happens to actually read the book.

[Nick Gromicko]

Try all 3:

• The Homeowner's Handbook, A Guide to Preserving the Value of Your Home by Rich Carlisle).
  
• Manual for a Happy Home by Keith Swift).
• Now that You've had a Home Inspection by Ben Gromicko).

[Ben J. Gromicko]

Originally Posted by dsorge

I'll do that...thanks Nick. Do you see what I mean though..how such a statement can cause a problem?

I love the books and the price is awesome so I'll surely keep issuing them, but I need some advice on how to handle the situation in the event of a leak in one of those areas and the client happens to actually read the book.

You can read the "Roof" section (and other chapters) of my book online at http://www.nachi.org/now. Tell me what you think... on this thread or give me a call. The spirit of the book is to protect home inspectors.
The first edition was edited by the InterNACHI membership.

[David Sorge]

Originally Posted by bgromicko

You can read the "Roof" section (and other chapters) of my book online at http://www.nachi.org/now. Tell me what you think... on this thread or give me a call. The spirit of the book is to protect home inspectors.
The first edition was edited by the InterNACHI membership.

I just skimmed through it but I like it already. I particularly like the way that it begins by managing client expectations about the inspection process. Very nice job.

Once my batch of the old books is used up I'll order some