"The Ugliest House in Nashville" Part 2

The roof is a major component of any house and can cause serious damage to a house if not properly maintained. The methods used to install a roof are also important, if the incorrect method is used it is a safe bet that the roof will fail to do it's job. A professional Home Inspector can detect if the roof was installed using non-standard methods, and will advise an evaluation by a professional roofer prior to closing. This will protect you and your investment.

The slope or pitch of any roof that has lapped shingles (one on top of the other)is very important. Generally a 3-12 pitch is the minimum for lapped shingles. The 3-12 pitch means that for every 12 inches the roof will slope 3 inches. The 12 does not change, just the first number, so the larger the first number the steeper the slope. If the slope is not steep enough for the water to run off the roof quickly, the water will run back under the shingles and cause leaks.

This House in Nashville had some very good examples of non-standard roof installations. The roof on the Nashville house was not actually flat, but two different degrees of pitch on different sections. The front and sides had a parapet wall, and the roof sloped to the rear. The far right side had a pitch of 1 in 12, and had asphalt shingles (lapped shingles). The other sections had a 3 in 12, and also had shingles. The second level was 1 in 12, and had rolled roofing. Very interesting to say the least. The roof on the first level sloped down where it meets the second level front wall, and was slightly built up in the middle to try to divert the water flow like a chimney cricket. The roof had just recently been re-roofed thought, so it was hard to tell what had been going on. I have attached some pictures of the roof. See what you think.