Generally, a roof certification is not included in the terms and conditions of all purchase agreements and it is not connected with a general home inspection. Inspecting roofs of houses is not part of the job of home inspectors. For this reason, it would be wise if you hire an expert roofing inspector prior to purchasing a house in Arlington real estate.

A roofing inspector usually issues a report regarding the following:

• The condition of the roofing materials used

• Any possibility of movement

• Caps, drip edges, and ridges

• Reliability of downspouts, gutters, and drains

• Irregularities around chimneys, roof pipes, rise of HVAC units, vents, as well as valleys

Roof certifications are given by roofing companies once the inspector has done the proper examination and found out that there's no need for repairs. Depending on the custom, these are good for a minimum of two years to a maximum of five years. Estimation on how many years remaining for the roof is also given. Then again, if repairs are really necessary, they must be completed first before the company issues a certification.

There are many different factors that influence roof certifications. These factors that inspectors take into consideration include the following:

1. Type of Roof - Some of the roofing materials that are commonly used in house include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Metal or steel

• Synthetic

• Tar and gravel

• Concrete or clay tile

• Slate

• Composition shingle

• Wood shake

2. Age of Roof - Depending on the material, roofs may last up to 50 years or even longer. If wood shakes are used, they usually must be repaired if ten years have passed. Tile roofs may last up to more than 50 years, provided that they haven't been walked on by anyone, since weight causes them to break or crack. Roofs that are made of composition shingle are guaranteed to last for a minimum of 20 years or even up to 40 years, depending on the material's quality.

3. Roof Pitch or Steepness of Roof - A lot of roofing contractors give an extra charge for roofs that are very steep. To calculate the pitch, you just need to measure one horizontal foot, subsequent to a straight horizontal line on the roof. After that, you have to measure the roof's height at that point, referred to as the rise of the roof, alongside a vertical line. The number of inches the roof rises per foot, that's the pitch. For instance, if it goes up five inches per foot, the roof pitch is five. Generally, the steepest you may possibly find is 12.

4. Number of Layers - There are regulations in certain areas that gives a particular number of layers permitted before a full tear-off is necessary.

5. Preceding Roof Repairs - Seller disclosure is not a requirement in every state, but still, a lot of roofing companies decline to honor the certification if a seller doesn't disclose preceding repairs made on the roof. Specialists normally want to inspect previous repairs to check if they were properly done and will not bring about any problems in the coming years.

A roof certification can be obtained by you or the property's seller. Before you purchase a property from the available Arlington homes for sale, it is important to have the house and its roof properly inspected.