What a roof and gutter inspection covers
An inspection is a list of things looked at, in order, and a plain account of what was found. This is the list.
What a gutter inspection covers
- Joints and seals — the unions, stop ends and corners where PVC guttering leaks first
- Fall — whether the gutter runs gently towards the outlet or holds standing water
- Brackets and fascia — loose, missing or rusted brackets, and rot in the board they screw into
- Outlets and downpipes — blocked, split, or discharging somewhere they should not
- Where the water goes — the gully or drain at the bottom, which is blocked more often than people expect
- The roof edge above — moss, slipped tiles and broken eaves tiles that feed the gutter with debris
What gets looked at.
Joints, fall, brackets, outlets, downpipes and the fascia behind it all. The roof edge above, too, because that is where most of what blocks a gutter comes from.
And the roof above
Gutters and roofs are one system, so an inspection of one looks at the other. From the gutter line the eaves tiles, the first few courses, the felt at the edge and the state of the moss can all be seen, and from the ground the ridges, verges and chimney. Most of what ends up in a gutter came off the roof above it, and most of what rots a fascia came over the gutter in front of it.
The result is a short account of what needs doing now, what will need doing in a year or two, and what is fine. Then a quote for the first of those, if there is anything in it.
More guides
Why gutters overflow, and what it does to a house
The four causes of water over the edge, and why the wall underneath is the real cost.
02How often should gutters be cleaned?
Twice a year for most houses. Which houses need more, which can go longer, and how to tell.
03Moss on the roof: why it matters more than it looks
What moss does to tiles and gutters, why some roofs grow it and others do not, and how it should come off.
04Signs of a roof leak, inside and out
What to look for on the ceiling, in the loft and from the garden, and why the leak is rarely where the stain is.
05After a storm: what to check from the ground
A ten-minute walk round the house that finds most storm damage before the next rain does.