Why I like walking the roof during roof inspections

When conditions allow, I prefer to physically walk the roof during an inspection. Looking from the ground and checking the attic are important, but sometimes your feet tell you something your eyes can't. On this roof, I felt an area of decking that was unusually soft as I walked across it. Once we investigated further, we found severely rotted roof decking hidden underneath the shingles.

We replaced the damaged section shortly before our area received more than three feet of snow. With that much additional weight, I'm glad we found the problem when we did. It's a good example of why I like getting on the roof and taking a closer look whenever it's safe and practical — sometimes a problem that isn't obvious from the ground can be very important once you find it.