Painted Rust on Roof Causing Leaks

Beware of renovated homes with a nice painted roof… there could be rust under the paint causing leaks!

I can’t post a photo of the home with the ‘hidden’ rusty roof in question for privacy purposes, but please be aware there could be more than meets the eye when buying a home!

Whilst doing an interior moisture inspection on a home in Te Atatu Peninsula recently, I was noticing some very high moisture readings & thermal anomalies on random areas on the ceiling. The interesting part was the home had wide eves/soffits over the verandah… similar to a Queenslander style home. So how could a renovated home like this show high moisture readings?

After working with a building inspector who climbed on the ‘new looking’ roof to look for the source of the leaks, it turns out the home owner had simply painted over the rust… and the rust was so established that it was leaking water directly onto the ceiling and down into the wall cavities!

These type of ‘cover ups’ usually go undetected by the average home buyer (visually), and if their building inspector isn’t savvy and detailed enough, a standard home purchase could turn to custard before you know it.

No matter what the age of the home, a moisture inspection could uncover the ‘trick and flick’ techniques some home renovators use.

Reduce your risk when buying a home… consider an infrared moisture inspection!

 

Similar Posts: