Exposed Ridge Beam
If you look closely in the picture above you will
see a large crack in this exposed ridge beam. This crack could become a
bigger problem if it continues to crack and weekend the ridge beam.
This crack can also provide a pathway for water to enter the interior
walls, creating possible water damage to the drywall or plaster, as well
as the structural post, that is holding up the entire roof for this
section of the home.
While doing your home inspection, this area should be examined on the
interior of the home, as well as a closer inspection of the ridge beam.
This beam would be expensive to replace.
If you run into a situation where you are not sure, how bad the damage
actually is, you could always contact a building contractor or
structural engineer to evaluate the situation, before you purchase the
home.
Things like this should make a big difference in whether you choose to
buy the home or not. The biggest problem in a situation like this, is
when an unsuspecting homebuyer, purchases the home, only to find out a
few years later that there is major structural damage.
That's why I built the website and have written a few books on the
subjects of home repairs and home inspections.
Exposed to ridge beams seem to suffer damage over time if they are not
painted on a regular basis. If any moisture enters the ridge beam it
could attract termites or possibly suffer from wood rot.
Painting the top of this ridge beam could be quite intimidating to
homeowners and building professionals, whom might be afraid of heights,
in order to paint the beam. This seems to be one of the biggest
problems, when I run into a situation like this, where the damage could
have been prevented, most of the time, with a little maintenance.
Some painters won't even paint the top of an area like this because most
homeowners can't visibly inspect that it has been done.