ICA Module 1 Section 3 Flashcards
3 main functions of roofs:
*protect from elements
*appeal
*support equipment
The roof covering is typically part of the structure of the home. T/F
False
What is the fundamental difference in strategy between a flat-roof surface & a sloped-roof surface?
Steep=Shed Water
Flat=uses membrane makes watertight seal
Is a sloped-roof waterproof?
No
Ice damming can cause leakage in roof
What is the pitch of the roof & how is it usually expressed?
Slope
Rise over the run
What is the overall goal of the roof inspection? (4)
Identify roof material
Is it installed properly
Leaking
Near end of life
Even if you walk on the roof & inspect every inch, there are limitations to your inspection. Explain
Why can a minor leak be more of a problem than a major one?
Might not be able to notice minor leaks right away as to a major leak would be seen right away
List 9 common roof problems you might find:
old, damaged, patched, missing evaged? fasteners poorly installed, leaking, vulnerable areas, ide damming, multiple layers
On a 10-year-old house, how old would you expect the roof surface to be?
10
What are the causes of aging? List as many as you can.
UV light, light/dark in center, ventilation, exposure to winds, foot traffic
Which side of a roof will wear faster in climates where ultraviolet light is the main aging factor?
South & West
In general, is there a higher risk of leakage at a patched area of roof?
Yes
Anything that restricts the drainage of water is a vulnerable area. As many as you can list.
Ice damming, wide chimneys, changes in materials, skylights
What things might you see that suggest patching has been done on a roof?
different color roofing, caulking
Once a roof is installed, can you see all the important installation details?
No
What is an ice dam?
melting of frozen snow
Which of the following roofs are MOST prone to ice dam?
a. A steep-sloped roof w/a wide soffit
b. A low-sloped roof w/a narrow soffit
c. A low-sloped roof w/a wide soffit
flow slope with wide soffit
What areas of the roof are MOST prone to ice dams?
lower face of roof/eaves
List the clues that a house may have had or may be prone to ice damming. Possibly evident in summer as well.
wall/ceiling damage, shingle damage, stained siding, heating causes, poor insulation & ventilation
Which is the best of the options above?
wall/ceiling damage
Which is the best options for minimizing ice damming?
good insulation & ventilation
What is eave protection?
a membrane under the shingles
What are the drawbacks to adding a second layer of roofing over a first?
roof weight, short nails
Where can you look on a roof to determine the number of layers?
lower edge
What are three parts of an asphalt shingle?
Base (felt), asphalt coating, granules
What is the typical life expectancy of an asphalt-shingle roof?
15-25 years
List 6 common failure modes for asphalt shingles?
cracking, loss of granules, cupping, clawing, missing, deterioration
What things do you look for to determine whether the shingles are old?
deterioration/missing
What is the implication of driving nails or staples too deep?
Not holding shingles in place
What is the implications of not driving nails or staples deep enough?
Loose
You will never find 3 layers of asphalt shingles on a roof T/F
False
What are the common failure modes for wood shingles and shakes?
Old, Rotted
IN what part of the roof are missing shingles or shakes most likely?
Ridge, Hip
Slate (choose 2)
a. is a natural product
b. is a manufactured product
c. lasts longer than asphalt shingles
d. doesn’t last as long as wood
e. is lighter than wood
A.C.
Slate roofs are among the most expensive to install and maintain. T/F
True
Give 4 reasons for slate roof failure
Slates wear out, mechanical damage, fasteners wear out, felt wears out
Should you walk on slate roofs? Y/N
No
Name 3 poor slate-repair methods
Using different material, using roofing cement, nailing & tarring, replacement slates
What things suggest that the slate is near the end of its life?
soft or flakes easily
What general shapes are clay tiles likely to be (give 2)
flat, curved
What’s the difference between a Spanish tile and Mission tile?
Mission-2 piece system
Spanish-1 piece system
You should always walk on clay-tile roofs T/F
False
Give 8 conditions to watch for on clay-tile roofs:
poor insulation, cracked, spalling, missing fastener problems, flashing problems, previous repairs, underlying problems
What shapes are concrete tile?
flat, curved
What concrete tile conditions should you watch for? (8)
poor installation, cracked, spalling missing, fastener problems, previous repairs, underlying membrane problems
Should inspectors walk on concrete roofs?
No
Fiber-cement shingles contain some of the same components as concrete tiles. T/F
?
Fiber-cement shingles can be bent without breaking. T/F
False
Metal roofs are commonly what materials?
Copper, stainless steel, aluminum
6 common problems on metal roofs are ______
rust, fastener problems, loose, poor insulation, dented, buckled
Another name for roll roofing is_____.
selvage
Roll roofing is MOST similar to what other material?
asphalt
Roll roofing is commonly used in what flashing detail?
valley
What are the common failure modes for roll roofing (4)
cracked, blistered, open seams, buckled
Synthetic roofing is typically less expensive in both installation & material costs compared to what material it resembles?
wood, slate
Is it more common for a roof to leak at the flashings or at other areas in the roof surface?
flashing
List as many common flashing materials as you can.
metal, rolled roofing, felt paper
List at least 5 areas where flashing are found
valley, vents, chimneys, eaves, skylight
Are valley flashings a watertight or shedding type of flashing?
shedding
Why should open valleys widen at the bottom? (2 reasons)
they see more water at bottom, less ice damming
2 common materials used for open valley flashing
metal, roll roof
2 types of closed valleys
half woven, fully woven
3 typical valley flashing conditions
rusted, installation problems, ?
Best spot from which to inspect the installation of the valley flashing:
eaves
Implications of a valley flashing problem
leaking
List as many valley flashing installation problems as you can:
nail location, if nails or cement is used
A flashing is not required on the bottom edge of the chimney. T/F
False
Is caulking an acceptable substitute to letting the flashing into the mortar joints? Why or why not?
No, it will fail
List as many common masonry chimney flashing conditions:
rust, missing, not letted, no cement
Implication of poor chimney flashings:
leaking
Is your chimney inspection finished when you get off the roof?
Why or why not?
no, must check below/inside for leaks
Pipe flashings might be found at which roof penetrations?
plumbing stacked, electricians waste, exhaust fans
Common stack flashing materials are_________.
rubber, thermolastics, lead
What are some common stack flashing conditions?
rusted, damaged, installation problems, vertically misaligned
Roof/sidewall flashings are similar to what flashing?
chimneys
Should step flashings be nailed to the wall or the roof?
Either or not both so movement is allowed
When roof/sidewall flashing is installed, the wood siding can be used as the counterflashing. Why is it considered good practice to keep the siding slightly away from the roof surface? Recommended clearance?
Rot, 1-2”
Roof/sidewall flashings are sometimes improperly installed/ 3 ex. of installation defects:
siding not put back, cut too short, no counter flashing
Where a steep roof meets a masonry wall at the side, counterflashing should be used. The counterflashing should be nailed or bolted securely to the face of the brick wall & the joint filled with caulking. T/F
False
Identify 8 roof/sidewall flashing materials.
galvanized steel, aluminum calualume, lead, copper, lead coated copper, plastic
Which metal flashing material is not compatible with masonry mortar?
?
Primary implication of sidewall flashing problems is________
Leaking
Roofs’ intersecting walls above need flashings similar to _________
Chimneys
??Top-quality flashings at roofs meeting a masonry wall above 2 piece flashings. Most are ______ piece or _____ homes.
?
Nailing flashings to both the roof and the wall is
a. better b/c it holds the flashing securely
b. worse b/c it doesn’t allow for movement of the wall & roof.
worse, b/c it doesn’t allow for movement of the wall & roof
Exposed nail heads through the metal flashing into the roof may result in what?
Leaking
Some ridge flashing systems have a second function, not related to keeping the roof watertight. What is it?
Venting
Identify 5 common hip & ridge conditions.
missing, loose, rot, rust
Fasteners on hips & ridges should be mostly_____
a. exposed
b. concealed
concealed
There are 2 types of double-glazing systems on skylights: hermetically sealed & ____________
vented
Which type of skylight is MOST likely to be successful:
a. mounted on a curb
b. mounted directly on the roof
curb
Windows should not be used as skylights. Anything that has more than a ____ degree slope off vertical should not be treated as a window
15
List as many common skylight conditions as you can
ice damming, broken, not sealed, no flashing
Leaking skylights can lead to structural problems T/F
True
Can ice damming be an issue on skylights? Y/N
Yes
During an inspection, you should never lift on the edge of a skylight? T/F
False
On an interior inspection of a skylight, you might use:
a. eyes
b. ladder
c. moisture meter
d. both a & b
e. all of the above
all of the above
Is a flat-roof system a “shedding” system or a “watertight” system?
watertight
Why is it often difficult to identify flaws in the membrane of a built-up roof?
gravel on top
Purpose of the asphalt & the felts in a built-up roof?
make watertight
Purpose of the flood coat on a built-up roof
for gravel to adhere
What is the purpose of the gravel on a built-up roof?
protection
List as many conditions relating to membrane of a built-up roof:
old, worn, torn, blisters, aligatoring, gravel erosion
Is it good practice to apply new built-up roof membranes over old?
No
Any roof that still has water on it __ hours after a rain is defined as a “ponding” roof.
48 hours
Give at least 2 implications of a ponding roof.
shorter lifespan, weight on structure
If it has not rained in a long time, & there is no ponding at the time of the inspection, what are other clues that might lead you to believe that the roof has experienced some ponding?
dirt, algae, vegetation
Main implication of exposed felts?
leakage
If you are looking at a single-ply roof surface with a granular surface, what are some clues to differentiate modified bitumen from roll roofing
?
9 common problems you will find on modified bitumen roofs. Don’t count installation problems.
worn out, open seams, cracking, loss of granules, slippage of membrane, blisters, punctures, ponding, patched
List 6 common installation problems on modified bitumen roofing:
seams facing up the slope, inadequate overlap, not staggered, poor fasteners
For an EPDM single-ply roof, what is the typical flashing material?
EPDM
EPDM is a kind of plastic or rubber?
Rubber
The most common sources of failure on EPDM roofs are __ and flashings.
Perimeter
Asphalt-based roofing mastic should not be used for repairs on EPDM. Why?
not compatible
A metal surface is a common & inexpensive way to cover large flat roofs. T/F
False
List at least 4 different types of metal that have been used for flat roofing.
steel, aluminum
What conditions are commonly found EPDM, PVC, and metal (excluding installation problems)
a. EPDM- give 7
b. PVC- give 11
c. metal- give 6
?
On steep roofs, the most common are for leakage to occur is at the flashings. Where is the MOST common area for leakage on a flat roof?
flashings
Why would you not want aluminum flashing on masonry?
it will corrode
What is a cant strip & where is it used?
a transition device, where the wall meets roof
The base flashing on a flat roof is a “shedding system.” T/F
False
On a flat-roof flashing system, the counterflashing is typically attached to the vertical surface or the horizontal surface?
?
When a skylight is installed on a flat roof, an 8-inch high curb is built for the skylight frame to sit on. Does the skylight frame go over the base flashing or does the base flashing extend up the sides of the skylight frame?
Up the sides of the frame
What is the purpose of a “pitch pocket”?
sealing roof penetrations
What is the purpose of a secondary scupper?
back drainage
When a steep roof drains onto a flat roof, the flat roof membrane should extend about __ feet up under the steep roofing shingles or tiles.
3
List 11 common flashing problems on flat roofs (not install problems)
leaks, worn out, rusted metal, loose, old caulk
List 10 common flashing installations problems on flat roofs.
missing, too short, not well secured…….
