caryseidner

I've heard that too Mark.

As it turns out it looks like it is installed correctly, but I don't think it will protect the rip in the base of your flashing Phil. Rain Collar

I hear ya Brandon and I guess it's possible that debris would accumulate between the boots, but I wouldn't call it out for that reason. I can't show you a credible source that endorses either repair. The NRCA publishes a flat roof repair manual that quite frankly has some pretty wacky repair methods in it. Stuff like mod bit patches with roofing cement smeared along the perimeters. I don't believe they publish a steep sloped repair manual nor have I ever seen one from the shingle manufacturers so I just have to look at something like this and think like water, and I don't see a leak here. I would avoid letting roof cement and neoprene come in contact with each other. The oils in the cement will breakdown the neoprene.

Why? If the top of the boot is the only thing damaged, as in Jim's 1st photo, then a new partial (like the one you found) or full (like the one Jim put on) soil vent flashing will keep the top of the old flashing protected from the elements.

That is almost the exact detail used to wrap 4"-16" vent penetrations on a flat roof, only the rain diverter is metal and caulked in place. I think the neoprene would be more effective, but I've never seen it on a pitched roof. Of course it's not going to do anything to help the rip at the base of the older neoprene flashing shown in your 1st pic.

Why wouldn't the copper tubes in the exterior disconnect have been okay, if the circuit breaker in the main panel was 25 amps or less?

I agree with Marc. Looks like XPS.

From the pictures it a little difficult to tell how wide those trails are. If it was made by something in the feline family, it would have to have been a mountain lion. On a side note, there was a mountain lion spotted here in Chicago a few years ago and ironically that topic came up during the inspection, but not because of the trails in the insulation. The big cat was spotted in the alley were my clients are currently living, about 15 miles away from the inspection. I think Bill is right and it happened during a re-sheathing of the roof. The curvy pathways go all over the attic, twisting and turning from corner to corner. No foot, hoof or paw prints in the insulation between the joist or below the top of the joists. A small amount of tear-off debris sprinkled on top as well. Really it should have been more obvious to me when I was up there. I was a bit uneasy thinking that a big animal was gonna jump out from the insulation at anytime.[:-bigeyes

Good call Bill. 7 year old roof and plywood decking. Thank you...again!

Approx. 1500 sf attic with these random trails cut through the insulation, throughout the entire attic. My first thought was an animal, but the paths are really much wider than that of any "attic animal" I have ever seen and there was no entryway for something that size either, except for the attic hatch. Too curvy for wind-wash and it didn't appear to be from human traffic either, but I say that only because the walls of the trails are so vertical. Maybe a drunk with a shovel? Has anybody ever seen this kind of thing before? Click to Enlarge 79.26 KB Click to Enlarge 69.24 KB Click to Enlarge 64.81 KB Click to Enlarge 69.86 KB

Your camera takes waaaay sharper images than my TiR1! After I saw your photos I pulled up some of mine for a comparison and, well there is none. Click to Enlarge 18.4 KB

Now you'll have to add katen.ir_3.23.10[^]

Marc, Do you mean a warranty for your inspection, or a warranty for the home?

I just use my clients name.

Almost every shingle roof I've seen in the past 15+ years is covered with fiberglass shingles not organic asphalt...at least around here. That may be more of a cold weather thing, I'm not really sure.

Another thumbs up for 3D. I've been using it for 5 years and like the others have said, it's fully customizable (text, graphics, layout, etc.). I have it loaded on 2 computers as well, but I don't think I had to pay extra for that. Excellent customer service! When I've had problems they are there to help and the problems do get resolved. They also seem to listen to their subscribers suggestions about how to improve the software and incorporate new features. My impression is that the company is old, strong and stable and should be around for awhile...but that's just my impression[:-dunce]

The hip/ridge cap should not be installed on the gutter edge. There should be a gutter there and I imagine that there is not one because the contractor who installed the other gutters could not figure out how to make a curved gutter. Or maybe some other reason. An old mentor of mine used to tell me to "be water". When I "be water" on this roof, I could/will: run down the side of the house and erode the facadeleak into the house through the windows/rot the windowserode the soil at the foundationcause foundation leaks Just a whole list of bad stuff that could be solved with a simple gutter system.

I prefer the consultant look as well. I always wear a lightly pressed white oxford shirt, charcoal pants and black loafers. I carry very few things on my belt, just a flashlight, a camera and my awl. If I'm inspecting a condo I leave the awl in my bag. I like the Veto Pro Pac and I carry it with me through the property as I am inspecting. It's a sturdy and well constructed bag, and although it is a bit heavy, I highly recommend it. Click to Enlarge 57.14 KB Click to Enlarge 54.75 KB

This light won't replace an Ultrastinger, Fenix or the newly discovered Olight, but I've been drooling over it for a year now and want to know if anyone else has seen or used it. It's the Streamlight H.I.D. Litebox and it's a monster @ 1 mil candela! It's also a monster on the wallet @ $800, but I've seen it listed at opticsplanet.com for around $400. Still pretty expensive, but it looks like it would really be outstanding in an attic, crawl or even the occasional after dark exterior. Here's the link and be sure to look at the ****H.I.D. Movie****. http://www.streamlight.com/product/product.aspx?pid=128 Does anyone have any first hand experience with this baby?

Thanks Bill - Called the FD and they did have a record of a fire occurring during construction. They said it had likely been caused by improper storage of used oily rags, so I'm thinking you are correct about the way it was remediated as well.

Correct. And except for the left hand side of the one gable end wall and the overspray, there was no paint anywhere else. Including the adjacent attics.

10 year old, $2.5 mil house with white paint sprayed in the attic. The ceiling joists were painted from bottom to top every where I checked, so clearly this was done before any of the insulation (blown-in over batts) was installed, but after the mechanical equipment was installed because I could see the spray on the PVC vent lines and flex ducts. Other than the joists, there was a couple of feet of overspray on the sheathing & rafters and the left-hand side of one of the gable ends was painted. I could see into a couple of adjacent attic sections that I could not enter. They weren't painted at all. My 1st thoughts were previous fire damage or mold, but there was no indication that either of these had been the problem here. Any thoughts? Click to Enlarge 48.78 KB Click to Enlarge 48.28 KB Click to Enlarge 46.38 KB Click to Enlarge 47.37 KB Click to Enlarge 46.13 KB Click to Enlarge 49.04 KB

Incidentally and coincidentally, I just received the current copy of the ASHI Reporter. There is a featured story in it on "Flat-Roof Inspection, with a Focus on Mod. Bit." You guys should read it if you have access to it.

I disagree with the thickness. Around here it comes in three different weights first one 2mm second is 3mm and third is 4mm. Erik, The thickness is aprox., but GAF's standard grade (Ruberoid APP Smooth) is 3.8mm or .148" or about 5/32" (1/32" less than 3/16"). They do maker thicker sheets, but I've never seen anything thinner. No way on the 2mm. By the time yo put a torch to the backside of that product it will vanish! But what you're not going to convince me of is that you can tear the sheet with your bare hands....even if it was 2mm.

Denny, Modified Bitumen is usually about 3/16" thick. It is made by dragging fiberglass/polyester sheets, or scrims, through a proprietary mix of bitumen and plasticizers. As the mix cools the material is cut and rolled and then shipped. Obviously this is a simplified description. The point I am trying to illustrate is that the sheets are relatively thicker than most flat roofing products. The scrim(s) and plasticizers make it difficult, if not impossible, to tear with your bare hands.