Had a similar thing happen when I bought my place—roof looked fine from outside, but once I poked around the attic, found some soft spots near a vent pipe. Ended up replacing a couple sheets of decking. Now I always check from below before touching anything up top.
Had a guy once who swore his roof was “solid as a rock”—until I stuck my foot right through it during an attic check. Turns out, chipmunks had made themselves at home and chewed up half the decking around the vent. Now, I always give the attic a look before I even trust the shingles. Never underestimate what critters (or moisture) can do from below.
I get where you’re coming from about checking the attic first—critter damage is no joke. Still, I’d argue that relying too much on the attic view can sometimes give a false sense of security. You mentioned:
Now, I always give the attic a look before I even trust the shingles. Never underestimate what critters (or moisture) can do from below.
That’s solid advice, but in my experience, attic inspections don’t always catch everything. I’ve seen plenty of decks that looked fine from below, but once we pulled the shingles, there were soft spots or rot that just didn’t show up from inside. Especially with OSB, you can have delamination or edge swelling that’s only obvious from the top. Sometimes, the insulation or HVAC runs hide the worst areas.
I usually start with a walk-over on the roof itself, feeling for spongy spots or dips. If I’m not sure, I’ll use a probe or even a moisture meter in suspect areas. Only after that do I head into the attic to check for staining, daylight, or animal nests. It’s a bit more time-consuming, but I’ve caught a lot of hidden issues that way—especially after hail storms or in older homes where leaks have been patched over from inside.
Critters are definitely a wildcard, though. Squirrels and raccoons can do a number on decking, and you’re right, you can’t always see that from above. But I’d say a combo approach—roof surface first, then attic—covers more bases. Plus, sometimes you find stuff like improper venting or mold that you’d never spot from outside.
Curious if anyone else has run into situations where the attic looked fine but the deck was shot? Or vice versa? I feel like every house has its own surprises...
Had a similar situation last year—attic looked spotless, but once we started pulling shingles, half the deck was mushy. Turns out, water had been sneaking in around an old vent and running between the layers, so nothing showed from below. I’m with you on the combo approach. Walking the roof first has saved me from some nasty surprises... and yeah, critters are a whole other headache. Squirrels chewed right through my soffit once—never thought I’d be patching wood from both sides at the same time.
Squirrels chewed right through my soffit once—never thought I’d be patching wood from both sides at the same time.
That’s a classic—critters always seem to find the one weak spot you missed. I’ve had raccoons rip up ridge vents like they’re opening a bag of chips. On the deck inspection, I’m curious—do you use a moisture meter, or just rely on the old “poke it with a screwdriver” method? I’ve found some rot that looked fine until you put a little weight on it... especially near valleys.