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.