Do not touch this guy - Ralph Schade
Ralph came in to inspect our home before purchase. He talks a good talk and seems knowledgeable. The main area I wanted an opinion on was the roof and Ralph immediately said he could not get up on the roof as per guidelines but would take pictures and let us know. He said the roof was fine and might need to be replaced two or three years down the road.
Genius Ralph gets back to us and said the pictures (he took) were not clear but he still thinks things were OK. After we bought the home we contacted three roofers who all said the roof needed to be replaced immediately. So much for home inspection. Don't touch this guy with a lighthouse...er ten foot pole.
I see now that Ralph has come up with what he fondly considers to be a rebuttal. Ralph please get your facts straight. You clearly indicated that while older the roof was not end of life. We customers are better serviced by qualified individuals. This is just a buyer beware. I can share and will share the report in social media sites.
Comments
Every critique deserves a rebuttal. Here's mine to DeanF00:
Please note that the Report indicates (reference page 4) that the Roof on this property was older and that there were several specific conditions that led to our recommendation that you have a roofing contractor review and make appropriate repairs. Specifically, we advised that the valleys and several areas of the roof were deteriorated, as well as excessive moss and/or mold on the roof. Both conditions are a significant area of concern and were circled to highlight the notes.
As inspectors, we often require specific contractors attend at and make recommendations on timing and repairs, which was the case here. We recommended a course of action to have a roofer review and repair as needed.
Furthermore on page 3: the following recommendation is clearly stated
Defects noted in the Roofing section must be addressed and resolved in a timely manner by a licensed roofing contractor. In many cases, these conditions can lead to premature leaking and/or failure of the component which can cause damage to interior components and finishes.
I have your report which clearly strikes out end of life and marks older roof. I will share this with everyone as well as the Better Business Bureau. I have already contacted my lawyer and you will be hearing from me. Your work begs the question. What protection does an inspector provide. Worst spend of 500 dollars I ever made. Overall I will be asking Lighthouse e question as well and have raised this to my realtor who recommended your services in the first place. I recommend you get better training as your 30 years of experience as you claim has not helped us at all
You advised that the valleys needed repair and that the roof was older but clearly struck out end of life. This roof was clearly end of life. The vendor repaired the valleys but the roofer told us the roof was end of life and repairing the valleys was akin to bailing the Titanic with a bucket. Excellent assessment there.
We consulted two more roofers who said the same.
What bothered me was you even told us that the pictures YOU took were blurry. I will be talking to Lighthouse parent company. I question both the attention to detail as well as client commitment in this regard. This is not over I promise you