Roof Crocodiling or Alligatoring

WHAT IS ROOF CROCODILING AND HOW DOES IT AFFECT YOUR FLAT ROOF?

flat roof crocodiling of waterproofing — Flat roof waterproofing looks like crocodile skin. This is crocodiling!

Waterproofed concrete and composite flat roofs on residential and commercial buildings require more maintenance than sloped roofs. They react differently to sun and moisture than tiled or sheeted roofs and require more frequent maintenance to ensure they function as they should. One common problem with many flat roofs is crocodiling.

What is Crocodiling?

Crocodiling is a crazed cracking pattern on the surface of the waterproofing. It looks like crocodile skin, which is where the name comes from.

Crocodiling is a sign that your waterproofing is ageing. The sun’s UV rays dry out and damage the waterproofed surface, and after five years or more years, the coating may develop small cracks. The older your roof gets before you repair the crocodiling, the more expensive it will get.

Extreme temperature changes, changing from hot sunshine to sudden cloudbursts and rain, and even hot winter days and very cold nighttime temperatures will cause new cracks to appear and will make existing cracks worse.

Leaves and debris will allow water to pool on the membrane which, together with the elements, will hasten the deterioration of the protective coating and waterproofing itself.

20/06/201904/05/2020

Weekend Projects

Weekend Projects to Increase Resale Value

by Kay Pascale

If you’re trying to increase the resale value of your home, there are probably more than a few side projects you want to finish before putting the house on the market for all to see. While some of these, like any kind of roof maintenance, are true renovations that likely require the help and vision of an expert, there remain some weekend projects that you can complete in a single weekend. Here are a few tips to help increase the resale value of your house.

Fix Outdoor Landscaping to Improve Curb Appeal

The first thing potential buyers will see when they walk up to your home is the landscaping. Do trees and bushes look overgrown? Is the lawn too long, or are there unsightly stumps and plants littering the yard? A little prevention in the form of weeding, gardening, watering, and trimming will have the front of your house looking immaculate and inviting to potential buyers. According to Home-Dzine, your lawn is probably one of the first things someone will notice about your house. Therefore, keep your grass trimmed, remove dead branches, and plant some flowers for a pop of colour.

Clean Your Gutters

Power washing the walls and the driveway is a great way to make your home look well cared for. This allows your house to stand out in a positive way from the rest of the houses on your street. Moreover, Gutters are often overlooked when cleaning up the outside of a home because you can’t see them from ground level. But rest assured it will make a big difference.

Make Any Necessary Repairs

Repairs can easily be completed in the span of a weekend. In addition, to ensure that there are no visible red flags, have a walkthrough or seller’s inspection. This will pinpoint any areas that need to be worked on prior to selling the home. Things that may be simply annoying to you might be deal-breakers for a buyer. In particular, leaky taps, mould damage, or a faulty light switch could be the difference between that SOLD sign and spending weeks or even months languishing on the market.

28/04/201925/09/2023

Plants Growing against Your House.

The Danger of Creeper Plants Growing Against Your House

A while back, I inspected a house in an older part of Johannesburg. From the road, the house was very pretty with an ivy creeper growing on the house and boundary walls. However, having plants winding their way up your outside walls can cause actual damage to your house. Therefore, you should think twice before allowing creepers to grow on any wall in the first place.

In fact, the best advice is not to have any gardens within 1 metre of your home! Watering gardens against your home can cause uneven settlement of the foundation and cracks in your house.

The worst plants to plant against your house are destructive plants known as “self-clingers”.

Self-clinging creepers

Self-clinger creeper’s rootlets go into existing fine cracks and fissures, using them to enhance adhesion and occasionally penetrating the interiors of buildings through them. The mortar between bricks can be loosened through this activity and is often torn away from the wall when a creeper is removed. The same strong adhesion can result in chunks of plasterwork being pulled away, and attached to the creeper vines.

In addition, on roof structures, creeper tendrils and rootlets can work their way under roof tiles and other roofing materials. Unless you remove the creeper maintenance, like painting and roof repairs, is impossible.

Moreover, any plants and shrubs with their foliage against your home may even dislodge gutters and roof tiles and can hold damaging moisture against wall surfaces causing moisture to penetrate into the wall and roof structure of your home.

Some articles and posts claim not all climbing plants are bad for your house and some can provide “genuine benefits”. However, the detrimental effect of having these climbers on your walls far outweighs any benefits they may have. Moreover, some climbing plants are very aggressive in the way they attach themselves to your walls and, if left unchecked, can cause serious structural problems.

Which creepers to avoid?

Ivy is a prime example. The sort of plants to avoid having grown up on your wall is often the ones that have “suckers” or little mini branches like spikes, that burrow under the paint into the plastered walls and into the mortar joints of the face brick walls for a foothold.

23/01/201925/09/2023

Efflorescence

WHAT ARE THOSE POWDERY WHITE AREAS ON MY BRICK WALLS?

Efflorescence is an eyesore! This is the presence of the white powder that forms on the face or surface of concrete, plasterwork and brickwork. Blooming or flowering are other names for efflorescence.

It is a cause for concern!

Efflorescence is a build-up of minerals and salts staining the surface of the concrete, brick and plasterwork due to repeated bouts of excess water in the material. The minerals and salts that naturally occur in the material are dissolved when the brickwork, plasterwork or concrete is waterlogged with water.

Concrete, pavers, brickwork and plasterwork are porous and can absorb or wick water and draw salts to it like a tree transports water from its roots to its leaves. This is capillary action. When efflorescence or blooming happens, it can indicate a moisture issue that could potentially damage the structure.

When water reaches a building material’s surface, evaporation will occur. Water absorption and wicking will continue after the water evaporates and the salt is left behind looking like flowering or blooming. This eventually creates a high salt concentration, leading to osmosis.

What is Osmosis

Simply put, osmosis in building materials is the movement of water from a region of low salt concentration to a region of high salt concentration in the material.

During osmosis, water moves toward salts and minerals to reduce its concentration. It can cause large hydrostatic pressures within the porous building material. As a result, these pressures can damage or destroy the material.

Osmosis can cause pressure that ranges up to 200 bar, exceeding the structural strength of concrete or brickwork. As a result, osmosis may result in porous building material staining, cracking, flaking or falling apart.

Home Maintenance Inspection

Maintenance Inspections

Maintenance inspections are ideal for homeowners and busy homeowners who don’t have the experience or the time to maintain their own homes. Furthermore, this type of inspection is especially suited for older or physically handicapped homeowners. It is for any homeowner who wants to know what the real condition of his or her home is.

This inspection type allows you to take the next step in arranging for professional maintenance and repairs. It’s the equivalent of a home medical checkup.

A Home Maintenance Inspection gives you a full picture of any minor repairs that need to be completed before they become major repairs. I inspect from the boundary wall to the ridge of your roof and everything in between!

What is a home maintenance inspection?

A Home Maintenance Inspection is just like the inspection you can have before you buy a home.

I will check out all the main systems of your home such as the roof, walls, foundation, air-conditioning, electrical, plumbing etc.. In addition, I will flag anything that might be starting to malfunction.

I will uncover problems you have not noticed. I will detect the little signs that something is starting to go wrong. This may be small cracks, spots, uneven wear, or fixtures such as a geyser reaching the end of its life. I will also make you aware of the regular maintenance you should be doing in your house.

Like an annual physical, my maintenance inspection can catch issues early and give you the peace of mind of a clean bill of health. It’s a way to keep little problems from turning into big problems.

What happens during the inspection?

Just like at a home buyer’s inspection, I will inspect your home with you. I will show you what I find and explain what it means. You will have a chance to ask questions or get clarifications. Usually, I will also point out things you should be doing regularly to keep all of your home’s systems functioning in tiptop shape.

Furthermore, you’ll get a written report detailing everything I have found. Of course, you’re the one in charge of tackling items on the to-do list yourself. Alternatively, you can arrange for professional maintenance and repairs to be done. It is an itemised punch list to address whenever maintenance issue you choose when you have the finances available.

Do you need a maintenance inspection?

Once every three to five years, you should have me come out and do a maintenance inspection. During the inspection, I will detect minor defects before they become major issues.

Another advantage of a home maintenance inspection is that I provide an unbiased opinion. I have no gain out of the evaluation of things that need repair (e.g., your roof or foundation).

If you do suspect something is in disrepair, it’s wise to call me before you call a repair company. Repair companies have a vested interest in getting work. As a result, you have to careful in accepting what they say requires repair or replacement.

I am not trying to sell you anything. Furthermore, I’m not going to make any money off repairs that need to be done. All I sell is the truth!

Who should do the inspection and how much does it cost?

I am uniquely qualified to do a maintenance inspection because of my years of experience in the construction industry. In addition, I have obtained many inspection certifications from the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI).

The inspection process is exactly the same process as a Home Buyer’s Inspection. Therefore the cost will also be the same.

CONTACT ME

Inspected Once, Inspected Right!®

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THE HOME DETECTIVE » roof maintenance