Just realized a lot of guys skip checking the flashing before they sweep

I've been noticing more calls where the chimney is clean but water is getting in, and every time it's because the flashing was loose or cracked. Spent 3 hours on a roof in Portland last week fixing someone else's missed inspection. Has anyone else seen this becoming more common?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_sandra6d ago

That's a good point. I had a job last summer near Salem where the homeowner had paid for a full sweep and inspection three months before I got called out. The flashing on the back side of the chimney was completely separated, probably for years, and the inspector just marked it clean and moved on. Now there's a water stain spreading across their living room ceiling. The trouble is, not every guy wants to spend the extra time on the roof prying up old lead and checking the step flashing. It adds 20 or 30 minutes to the job, and some outfits are just trying to get to the next appointment. But that shortcut costs homeowners thousands in drywall and mold remediation later. I've started including a photo of the flashing condition in every inspection report, just to cover myself if nothing else.

kellyg146d ago

I read somewhere that water damage from bad flashing is one of the top five home inspection claims.