One Way To Prevent Roof Leaks – Advice From A Jacksonville Home Inspector

One Way To Prevent Roof Leaks – Advice From A Jacksonville Home Inspector

One of the most common causes of a roof leak that I find during home inspections in Jacksonville, FL are plumbing boots that have gone bad. There are two types of plumbing boots that I see. They are the neoprene or rubber type boots and the lead boots. Each have their own problems.

The rubber boots will dry out and become brittle from the sun. This causes them to become brittle and crack which will allow water to enter your home. This is one of the problems that home inspectors routinely find. I have also seen these boots installed improperly stretching the boot and causing a gap between the boot and the plumbing vent.

The lead boots are found primarily on older homes, however I have seen a few on newer homes that were installed by the owner. You should make sure that they are curled in to the plumbing vent. I have seen installations where the lead was not long enough and not able to be curled into the vent pipe. The other problem I see with these types of boots is that squirrels will eat them. I don’t know why they eat them, but they do. Any home inspector that has been around a while has seen what squirrels do to lead boots.

You should check these at least once a year, preferably in the fall after the weather cools. I also check the boots on my home in the spring. If you don’t feel like doing this yourself, you could have a maintenance home inspection to identify problems with the plumbing boots and other things you need to address to keep your home in tip top shape.

CALL 904-891-6309 for all your home inspection needs.

Duct Tape Fixes Everything, Well Not Really

I recently watched “Gran Torino” (excellent movie by the way), and in one of the scenes Walt gave Tao a can of WD-40, a pair of vice grips and a roll of duct tape. He then told Tao that with these 3 items you can fix just about anything in the home.  While performing this Jacksonville home inspection I found out that apparently the home owner here took that advice and used duct tape to hold the drain line together under the kitchen sink. I recommend that you use the duct tape sparingly, and if you can’t fix something properly call someone that can. Check out this video below to see how to properly install a p-trap.

If you or someone you know is need of a professional home inspector that is looking out for your best interest, make sure that you are making an Informed Decision every time you by a home by calling your Jacksonville Home Inspector at 904-891-6309 right now, which will allow you to get the best property inspection possible. 

Check out what some of our  Florida home inspection customers have to say at Jacksonville Florida Home Inspection Reviews.  Want to see what goes on during a home inspection in Jacksonville FL watch my Jacksonville Home Inspection Videos.

Water Intrusion Issue Found At Sliding Glass Door

 

While providing residential home inspection services in Jacksonville I use a Thermal Imaging camera to assist me in performing the best inspection I can. During this inspection I noticed that the threshold for the sliding glass door was allowing water intrusion into the home. A home inspection by a professional home inspector will identify maintenance issues as well as more serious issues.

 

Bad Plumbing Vents Roof Maintenance Issues

During routine residential home inspections in Jacksonville one of the things I look for while inspecting the roof is all of the penetrations. One of the common problems I find is that the plumbing boots (rubber seal around the plumbing vents) are often cracked or deteriorated. This is very typical on homes here in the sunshine state. The reason they crack is because the sun beats down on them dries them out and they become very brittle. When they crack and open up water can leak into the home. Many times most home owners aren’t even aware of this issue until there has been significant water intrusion into the home. Look at the picture below of a cracked plumbing vent from inside the attic. YES that is daylight. When daylight can come in so can the rain. This is just one example of why it is a good idea to have an annual home inspection, just like your annual physical or having routine maintenance checks on your car. If you are buying a home or even if you own a home and haven’t had an inspection you’re in the right place.