News & Resources

What Can We Tell from This Photo? (Case Study 15)

Posted by in Apparent Mold/Biological Growth, Case Studies, Roof | July 31, 2017

The feature photograph was taken of the underside of a roof deck in an attic.  This photograph provides helpful information regarding the cause and history of the damage. From this photo we observe the following: The pixelated pattern of the apparent… Read More →

Indentations from Hail Impacts on Metal Roof Vents

Posted by in Hail Damage, Roof | July 24, 2017

What happens when a hail stone impacts a metal roof vent?  If the hail is big enough, many times greater than /14 inch diameter is big enough, the metal gets dented. The feature photograph shows where hail stones indented a… Read More →

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 →

What Causes That Fish Mouth Appearance in a Shingle Roof?

Posted by in Buying/Maintaining a Home, Construction & Shortcuts, Roof, Shingles | July 10, 2017

Sometimes a shingle roof will exhibit a pattern of shingle tabs raised at their center, such as seen in the featured photograph.  That is, the shingle tab is partially sealed at each end, but raised in the middle (Figure 1).… Read More →

Happy 4th of July (2017)

Posted by in Commemoration/Celebration | July 03, 2017

Thoughts for the 4th of July: . “If the freedom of speech is taken away, then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter.” George Washington . “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain… Read More →

Corrugated Brick Ties

Posted by in Case Studies, Masonry, What happens when ...? | June 26, 2017

How well do those corrugated brick ties perform over time? Not too well. The wall fallen in the featured photograph exhibited severely corroded ties that contributed to the failure of the brick veneer (Figures 1 and 2). The wall was… 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 →

Happy Flag Day (June 14 2017)

Posted by in Commemoration/Celebration | June 12, 2017

What does the flag of the United States of America mean to you? Is it just a colorful piece of fabric, an outdated signaling device, a decoration for your hat or shirt, a symbol of repression or freedom, or something… Read More →