There’s no place like home, except when it lacks the comforts of home and makes you feel like you’re roughing it in the middle of nowhere. Newlyweds Jill and Bram Klein felt this way about their 1964 home in Laguna Niguel, Calif., and called in veteran home inspector Rick Yerger for advice.
Inspector's Notebook
The problems in the California home were caused by deteriorating ridge cap shingles. Because these shingles cover the peak of the roof, where two angles meet, they are important to help keep rain and snow from leaking into the house. And because the ridge cap shingle is bent over the roof, it can deteriorate quicker than the rest of the roof surface.
Ridge cap shingles are usually made of the same material as the roof, and the good news is that if ridge cap shingles deteriorate first, they can be replaced without replacing the entire roof. Once a year inspect the roof and ridge cap for damage. If your asphalt ridge caps are damaged or missing, here are some tips on how to cap the gap.
- Cut and bend the shingle to conform to the shape of the peak of the roof.
- Hammer a roofing nail on each side of the shingle, five inches from the bottom edges, and one inch from the side edge.
- Overlap the shingles to cover the nails on the side edges, and use roofing cement to cover the nail heads on the shingle at the end of the roof.
- If you have a fear of heights or don’t feel comfortable climbing on your roof, call a professional.
Guests Rick Yerger
Building Specs, Inc.
6441 Burt Road, Suite 57
Irvine, CA 92660
Toll-Free Phone: 888-773-2711
E-mail:
rickyerger@earthlink.net
Website:
www.buildingspecs.com 
