Man, I totally get the second-guessing. When we moved in, our inspector flagged “minor shingle lifting” and I thought, eh, it’s probably just old roof paranoia. Then the first big rain hit and—yep—drip in the guest room closet. I guess I learned to treat anything with “moisture” or “critters” as a priority, but stuff like “minor granule loss” or “needs caulk at flashing”... those go on my weekend list. It’s tricky though—sometimes feels like you need a PhD just to read these reports.
sometimes feels like you need a PhD just to read these reports.
Honestly, I think the inspection industry could do a better job translating “roof speak” into plain English. I’ve seen so many reports where “minor shingle lifting” turns out to be a big deal, especially if you’re in a windy area or get heavy rain. I get why people want to triage stuff—“granule loss” sounds harmless, but if you see a lot of bald patches or find piles of granules in your gutters, that’s usually a sign the shingles are aging faster than they should.
I’ve managed a few properties where “needs caulk at flashing” was brushed off, and then—surprise—water found its way in during the next storm. It’s wild how something that takes 10 minutes with a caulk gun can save you thousands in drywall repairs. I’m not saying every little note is urgent, but I’d rather overreact to moisture issues than underreact. Critters too... once had squirrels chew through a soffit and it turned into a circus.
Bottom line, I’d treat anything water-related as top priority. The rest? Sure, weekend list is fine, but don’t let it slide too long or it’ll come back to bite.
- You’re spot on about water issues—those are always the ones that spiral if ignored.
- “Minor” shingle lifting can be a pain, especially in places where wind is a factor.
- Granule loss is sneaky. Folks see it in the gutters and think it’s normal, but if you’re getting little bald spots, that’s the roof waving a red flag.
- I’ve seen so many people skip caulking at flashing because it sounds trivial... then months later, they’re dealing with stained ceilings or worse.
- It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the jargon, but your approach—prioritizing moisture stuff—is exactly right.
- Don’t beat yourself up if you miss a small thing here or there; nobody catches everything. The big wins come from catching the leaks before they start.
Granule loss is sneaky. Folks see it in the gutters and think it’s normal, but if you’re getting little bald spots, that’s the roof waving a red flag.
Couldn’t agree more—granule loss gets brushed off way too often. I’ve seen folks ignore it for a season or two, then suddenly they’re looking at a full tear-off instead of a patch job. Curious, did your report mention anything about the attic ventilation? Sometimes poor airflow up there makes all those “minor” issues a lot worse than they look from the outside.
Curious, did your report mention anything about the attic ventilation? Sometimes poor airflow up there makes all those “minor” issues a lot worse than they look from the outside.
That’s a good point about the attic. My inspector barely touched on it—just a line about “adequate vents,” but I’m not convinced. I’ve got some patchy spots on the north side, and I’m wondering if it’s more than just old shingles. Anyone else notice granule loss showing up faster on certain sides of the roof? Maybe it’s a combo of sun and bad airflow... or am I overthinking it?
