Roof design

[William J. Decker]

[quote=Brian A. MacNeish;470056]

Originally Posted by jweise

Client not at inspection. New home with no current leaks. Large roof area channeled to small area.

Would you mention it in report?
If you report it, what might you say?
Is it shingled OK for the design condition?
What might be done differently? [/quote]

Bring the architect back to the house and rub his nose in it!! They work way to much on the "art" design side of the building and not enough on the technical/practical/commom sense side. There should have been a design note about building a slope (or "cricket" as someone mentioned) to drain water from under the gable dormer window and the 2 slopes that appear to meet in the valley there with no grade/slope to it.

When I see stuff like this, I call it out as an "Design defect" and refer then to their architect. I have gotten MUCH flack, over the years. The Architect calls me back and yells and says stuff like "How dare you. I am an Architect and you are just a silly little home inspector."

At which point, I ask, "So then, you would have no problem issuing a special 5 year warranty to the seller that would cover their repair costs if the roof leaks, specifically because of your design, wouldn't you?" Then I put the conversation in writing and forward a copy to the seller.

So far, in every single case like this, withing 5 years (and, usually, in only 2) I have been proven right.

The client calls and, most times, is irate because their new house is a waterfall, usually in the atrium areas.

I, calmly, refer them to my report and ask them to contact their Architect.

In many cases, I get another inspection when I go out to document the problem, then I get paid by their lawyer when he sues the Architect.

I really wish that ALL Architects have a requirement, for their licenses, that they be required to put in 2 years as a construction laborer before getting licensed.

And the downspout, draining directly on a lower roof surface, will void the shingle manufacturer's warranty.

[Frank Albert]

Hard to say from those pics. I'm often handed these to repair. Keeps life interesting

[Ben J. Gromicko]

The following language may be helpful when writing a narrative to describe that problem:
In modern construction, adding complexity to roof plans is commonly done to improve curb appeal. But adding complexity to the roof drainage system can also create long-term moisture problems. A balance is needed so roof rainwater flows aren’t excessively concentrated or obstructed as shown in the previous pictures. If these conditions cannot be avoided when the house is built, then affected regions of the roof should be adequately detailed and waterproofed, and guttering should be appropriately designed to channel water off the roof and away from the building.