Submitted By: Dwayne Boggs (Dwayne is a home inspector serving the Thurston County area home inspection market)
At recent inspection of a 2005 home in Olympia the home gave me the opportunity to actually see the effects of improper insulation. The first clue of a problem was a very wavy roof. Roofs can have some waviness but this one was past the point of normal. This roof was just too steep to walk on, but all could be seen with a ladder, so I moved on. Once inside I began to search for anywhere to access the attic, but almost the entire home was a cathedral ceiling. Except for one small area above the upstairs bath.
Cathedral ceilings require a small air space or gap between the insulation and the roof sheathing. Paper faced Insulation is then stapled to the bottoms of the rafters. If a space is not left then the roof can not ventilate properly and issues begin. The guy that installed all the insulation in this home did not do this, he instead did the opposite and shoved the insulation up all the way, leaving no air space.
Now since there was a small area above the bathroom, I accessed the side entry and crawled in. The first thing I discovered was the missing vents for the plumbing. I found one openly venting in this area. An open vent can surely add a moisture problem to the small space and the overall situation. Once I removed a section of insulation, I found the conformation I was looking for. The added moisture along with the combination of poor insulation created a perfect environment for mold. It was all over the wood and roof sheathing. Of course the waviness of the roof was a result of the sheathing actually delaming or coming apart. If I would have walked the roof I could have very well put my foot through.
Both houses on each side (which were the same style) had the same roof wavyness. This home originaly sold for over $200,000. Now more than likely the majority of the roof will need to be torn off sooner then later. Always make sure you pay attention to these types of roofs. This one only took 7 years to become a bad egg. All from the result of poor building practices.
About the Author
Dwayne is the former past President of the Washington Association of Property Inspectors, Dwayne is also a committee member for the Washington State Pest Management Association (WSPMA), Dwayne has been serving the Thurston County home inspection markets of Olympia home inspection , Lacey home inspection and Tumwater home inspection for many years. Boggs Inspection Services can be reached at 360-480-9602.
