With new construction today, it is common to have multiple levels of roofing that don’t sit square on top of one another, like the days of old when a lot of homes looked as if they had been designed by a manufactured home architect, where foundation, main level and upper level all have the same exterior dimensions. In modern architecture homes are far more pleasing to the eye, and even demand a longer look as you drive by. With new A-symmetrical designs, comes new requirements of how to shed their water.
The roof is, in this inspectors opinion, the most important part of any house, and certainly gets my undivided attention. Whenever I feel comfortable enough to get up on a roof, I usually spend some quality time there. I am looking, not only at the roof covering, but also at the intended water shed design. When a roof’s gutter system employs down spouts that terminate on the roof surface below, I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the area receiving the additional bulk moisture will erode at a much faster pace, eventually resulting in failure.
The down spouts should be extended down to the gutter system below. This is completed simply by attaching another, properly measured, downspout to the end of the original down spout termination point and ushering the water to drain right into the lower gutter system. This practice will eliminate premature roof wear with respects to bulk water drainage and elongate the life of the existing roof. If you recognize this configuration on your roof, call a licensed contractor to amend your downspout terminations today!
