Category Archives: Simple Forensic Methods

What Happened Here?

Posted by in Roof, Shingles, Simple Forensic Methods, Winter Concerns | July 17, 2017

The shingles along the eave of roof exhibit broken and dislodged tabs and surface gouges (Figure 1). What could have caused this?  Vigorous ice removal. The damage is along an area that was reportedly covered with ice (see featured photograph).… Read More →

Quickly Identifying Unsealed Shingle Tabs

Posted by in Roof, Shingles, Simple Forensic Methods | June 19, 2017

Here is a quick and easy method to identify unsealed, partially unsealed, or poorly bonded shingle tabs or shingle strips.  But I must warn you, “DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME UNLESS YOU ARE WILLING TO ACCEPT THE RISK OF… Read More →

Wow! What Did That Look Like Before It Fell?

Posted by in Simple Forensic Methods | July 18, 2016

That’s a statement that we usually think when we see a collapse.  Through the wonders of technology we can now often find an answer. In this case, we were able to view the porch roof a year or so prior… Read More →

What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 12)

Posted by in Apparent Mold/Biological Growth, Simple Forensic Methods | November 30, 2015

What does this photograph show? This photograph was taken of active condensation of excessive airborne moisture on the underside of a roof deck.  This photograph provides a significant amount of information about the consequences of condensation and even about the… Read More →

What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 11)

Posted by in Shingles, Simple Forensic Methods, Winter Concerns | August 17, 2015

What can we tell from THIS photo?   This photo was taken at a valley on a shingle roof. The shingles on the left are less weathered indicating that they are not as old as the shingles on the right.… Read More →

What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 10)

Posted by in Basements, Simple Forensic Methods, Water Sources | August 10, 2015

This photo was taken at the base of a basement wall. We note the following: The moisture staining on the wood stud and the cardboard box indicate that there has been water infiltration. The multiple rings of the moisture staining… Read More →

What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 9)

Posted by in Fire Damage, Simple Forensic Methods, Wood | August 03, 2015

What can we tell from THIS photo? The wood plates and staples indicate that these are very old field built wood trusses. The soot and char indicate that they have been exposed to a fire. The relatively clean separation between… Read More →

What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 8)

Posted by in Cracking, Masonry, Simple Forensic Methods | July 27, 2015

What can we tell from THIS photo? The portion of the wall on the left side of the cracking has dropped relative to the right.  This indicates that the cracking is probably from some type of earth movement, such as… Read More →