An inspection begins on the inside of the building, looking for end-points of any water leaks. Once the endpoint is identified, the leak can be tracked back to its source. For instance, if you have a leak in an office, you can anticipate that the leak will begin above the office, where a brown spot will appear.
If the HVAC unit is located above the office, it is safe to assume that the leak originated in the area where the unit is located.
After inspecting the interior, we proceed to the roof. The roof’s exterior inspection will look for flaws and damage that could result in leaks. Ponding, substrate damage (holes), membrane cracks, blistering, seams that are lifting, nails or shingles that are lifting, and other cosmetic issues that cause leaks are all common problems identified during the walking tour.
For two reasons, the visual inspection begins at the roof’s edges and works its way to the center. The first reason is that most problems begin at the roof’s edge, and the second is that you don’t want to miss any areas during the walking tour.