Thread: Rainy Weather Inspections

Seems like it isnt going to stop raining in Houston.
Im curious how this affects other inspectors. No doubt it can limit the effectiveness of an inspection. Personally, Im not willing to risk my safety walking on a wet roof. Im also not going to pull the cover on a breaker box in the rain. I dont mind carrying an umbrella and walking around the house. I always note weather conditions on the inspection report and describe the things that couldnt be done due to the weather. Is this typical for others, or do you just try to keep rescheduling until the weather breaks.

Also how many people actually measure grading slope, or do they just eyeball it. If you measure, what technique do you use.

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Originally Posted by imported_John Smith

Seems like it isnt going to stop raining in Houston.

Tell me about it...... Weatherman forecasting next week will be rainy too.

I do what I can do and disclaim if I could not walk on the roof. I first try to arrange my inspection order to accommodate the weather. If it is raining when I arrive, I'll start inside. If rain is forecast but not raining yet, I'll start on the roof, etc.
If a client asks me do I inspect in the rain? I'll tell them it is a great time to find roof leaks and drainage problems.
I carry a rain suit and do the best possible job under the circumstances.
Rain doesn't keep me off of many roofs though, a typical composition shingle roof is still pretty grippy even when wet.
Lightening is a different story though

It looks like the Dallas area is pretty much back to a spring/summer weather pattern. We have had about 4-5 days of sunshine with 30% chance of thunder storms for the next 3 days. It has been a really wet spring that broke the drought of the last several years. We have received over double the average annual rainfall by June. By my math, that is about 4 times normal. I think I am starting to get web feet!

All you can do is do what you can do!

If the roof is wet, I would not get on it. This is me, but if you want to chance it then go ahead. Not worth the risk. The roof might provide some traction but wet ladder rungs do not.

A worn out roof does not look as bad as when it is dry. I always note this condition with an old wet roof. The advantage you have when it is raining is that you can spot roof leaks and poor drainage rather well.

You and I are in different camps on this Scott. I think rain tends to make some deteriorating areas on a roof harder to see.

I follow roof inspections in the rain just like you Jim. Rain in the forecast but not yet raining, it's the first thing I'll do. Raining at the start of the inspection, put it off until the end. Recently, I've been putting roof inspections off until the end of the inspection for a different reason. It's been so humid here lately that getting up on a hot roof at the beginning of the inspection leaves me wearing a sweat-soaked shirt the rest of the time I am there. Not too comfy.

"A worn out roof does not look as bad as when it is dry"
Nick, I think you and Scot are saying the same thing.

I am soaked anyway, rain or no rain before I ever get to the roof. I carry spare shirts just to try and be presentable to the clients. If it is not the heat, then the humidity is a killer. We have had a very cool spring and early summer with highs only in the low 90's most days. As of last week, I heard our highest temperature of the year was 94. Usually by mid July, our temps are at 100 on a daily basis.
With no rain but high heat, I arrange the attic and roof first for a morning inspection and save it till last if in the afternoon. The few crawl spaces I do are always saved for the very last thing since I get filthy even with coveralls and sweaty to boot.

Jim,
I like your comment about being presentable to your clients. I too believe this is very important, not just from my personal business stand point, but also for helping to promote home inspection as a true profession.

I had some guys at my personal residence from Dish Network doing an install. They looked like total bums. I realize that you do work and get hot and such, but you should at least try to look like someone who prides themselves on doing a good job. Appearance is part of the business. I usually wear a tee **** under my dress shirt, and as soon as I hit the attic, the dress shirt comes off!

Worn out roofs look BETTER when they are wet. Ever notice how movies and print ads show streets and sidewalks wet a lot. It's because it looks better. I even have a blurb in my software about wet roofs.

I will NOT go on a roof when it is raining. We have way too many thunder storms in my area, and I don't relish the thought of a lightning strike while I'm the high point.

I use an umbrella when I walk aound the outside and do the best I can, and disclose what I can't. If my client is there, they KNOW why I can't.

JF

Since my area (Juneau, Alaska) is a temperate rain forest, I rarely go to an inspection when it is NOT raining! If I did not walk on roofs when it was raining, I would seldom, if ever, walk on a roof.

I evaluate each roof at the time of the inspection. If it is sprinkling, I may go on a shallow roof, even metal if there are roofing screws to step on and I am fairly certain it will not start raining soon. I usually do not walk on wet shake roofs as most of them in my area are slimy. Composition shingles are evaluated on slope of roof and degree of rainfall as well as to whether there is something to hang on to when getting off and on the ladder.

To tell the truth, I am getting to an age and level of agility that I look for excuses to avoid walking on the roofs as I can usually tell all I need to know from the attic and the roof edges. Chimneys and vents are harder to see from the edge of a roof but again, if there are no signs of leaks in the attic, I include a disclaimer that the penetration was not observed from the roof and may need caulking or other attention.