The Wind mitigation report form is something I take very seriously - especially when not finding the sheathing fasteners that are supposed to be there. I should have found #8 ring shanks at 6" o.c. as quoted in the invoice for a new roof as wrote up by the roofing contractor. This installation was started six years ago under a city permit - but the permit was never closed.
As usual for the inspection I went into an attic for my client’s wind mitigation report. The roof was six years old and the seller had the paperwork from the roofer, including the permit from the city. They also had the six year old wind mitigation form as filled out by the roofer. This form was different from what I fill out today and photo proof was not required on the roofer’s form.
I made my way around the attic - looked at over 50% of the rafters looking for a #8s that either missed the rafter or were sticking out of the edge of the rafter. I never found the #8s - found lots of staples. Put this on the report.
Client went to seller, seller went to roofer. Roofer told client there are #8’s - I am so good I never miss the rafters. My client had another report done - The new inspector found one shiny #8 - not a ring shank - and wrote up the new form. Client calls and wants his money back for my “nefarious” wind mitigation form.
I discussed this with my InterNACHI colleagues that had more experience and this was not surprising to the inspectors that had been doing this for many more years than myself. The wisest one told me to look in the framing of the hipped valleys - where the edge of the roof sheathing is at an angle and not tight against the rafter - it is here where on can actually see the fasteners.
I met with my client in the attic - showed him the fasteners exposed at the hipped valley - there was not one #8. He showed me another #8 he had found - it was a shiny nail - not a ring shank. It was this nail that had my client convinced I was wrong. I told him there should be nails showing at the valley and my guess is there are probably a few #8s in the rafters that were from the original installation 20 years ago. I am sure the staples did not hold everything down securely if the sheathing was warped etc. The roofer used a #8 to fasten the sheathing better at certain spots.
My client hired me in the first place because I had a background as an Architect, which was smart on his part. What is hard to believe is he would rather believe the roofer - that never closed his permit, and filled out his own wind mitigation form. My client did not want to believe what he saw with his own eyes - no nails showing in any of the gaps between the sheathing and the rafters. To keep my client happy - I refunded him the money and told him that when the next hurricane comes to our area, make sure he keeps his paperwork from the roofer. safe and dry. Told him he will need this for when his stapled roof is damaged or blows off during the next hurricane
**FrEE IS CRAZY ESPECIALLY IF THEY ARE WRONG !
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Randall,
Are you checking off box 3c only if the 8d nail is ring shanked?
You will usually find nails in the corners of plywood where the roof deck was nailed off with staplees. The lead carpenter tacks the corners in and moves on to the next sheet. He is followed by the man on the staple gun. This could be the shiny 8d nails that the homeowner was seeing… And of course he is going to believe the roofer, he wants the discount!