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From
the desk of . . .
Arthur
S. Lazerow
Annual ASHI Conference!
The annual
convention of the American Society of Home
Inspectors (ASHI) was in New Orleans this past
January. I held productive meetings with our consultants,
the food was superb, of course, and a walk
through Bourbon Street at night is an experience everyone
should enjoy, once.
The highlight, however, was the keynote speech by Joe
Calloway, the respected corporate personnel trainer
and motivational speaker. His topic was "Taking
your Business to the Next Level" and his message
was applicable to anyone in business: Do not
be an industry leader. Instead, create your own category
and be the sole occupant.
Southwest Airlines was his example. Southwest creates
a distinct experience for their passengers. They
hire for personality and train for skill, and they make
emotional connection with their customers. They
must because their commodity is to move in the
air a box stuffed with hundreds of uncomfortable people
from one destination to another. But their product
is the Southwest experience, which people enjoy.
The parallel with Alban Home Inspection Service and
our inspectors is obvious. Our commodity is the home
inspection, something anyone with homebuilding
experience can perform. But in fact, our
product is the purchaser’s experience, which we train
for and try hard to differentiate from other home
inspectors: by making the inspection pleasant and
educational, by trying to understand the needs of
our clients, by not being alarming when we discuss
deficiencies, and by having the fee refund policy
if the sale does not settle. We have a unique brand,
I believe, which is satisfying to our clients.
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Problem
Roofs Are Born
Not
Made!
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Roofs
are born with their troubles. Rarely
do their problems stem from things
that happen to them after they are put
into service. Almost all roof problems are
"built-in" at the time of installation.
It is because of these flaws that
the average commercial roof in the United
States lasts only seven years. Although
built-in problems are numerous, they
generally fall into one of four categories.
The following are the primary
causes of problems.
Overheating of Asphalt
Almost all built-up roofs have
the asphalt overheated
at the time of
installation to facilitate
ease of application and
regulate the quantity
of material that is
applied between piles. This
overheating can turn the asphalt to carbon,
which is a very poor waterproofing agent with a short life
span.
Moisture Entrapment
Moisture entering and becoming trapped
in the roofing system
during installation is
a very common problem even in the hot
summer months. Entrapped moisture
under the roof or between the piles
can do a great deal of damage down the
road. Such problems as rotted and rusted-out
decking, blisters, wrinkles, fish-mouths
and curling can result from moisture
entrapment.
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Inadequate Attachment
The proper nailing pattern for a roof is
quite different than
that used by most roofers.
On many roofs the number of fasteners
used has been up to one-third the
quantity specified. As a result of this fastener
shortage, the roof was much more
likely to blow off or slip. Another
common method of roof attachment can
result in problems. When a roof
is laminated (mopped) to the deck with
asphalt, it is subject to the stresses caused
by the normal expansion,
contraction and
settlement of the building.
The result is a roof
system that is fractured
and split-out within
a matter of months
or a few short years.
Inadequate Detail Work
It is vitally important that the installers
devote a great deal of
attention to the flashing
at areas such as roof penetrations, and
interruptions. If a leak is going to
occur, chances are it will occur at one of
these locations. When careful workmanship is
not used in these crucial areas, the
result is a problem roof. The
answer to these problems cannot be found
in insurance policies or warranties. There
is no insurance policy offered on a roof
system per se. The warranty offered by
the manufacturers literally protects
Continued
on next page.
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