Roof inspection, chimney flashing and repairs in Fairfax (22030)

Homes around Old Town Fairfax and the neighborhoods along Chain Bridge Road change owners often, and plenty of houses near campus become rentals for students and staff. A home inspector's report will note a roof's age, but it rarely tells you what the flashing looks like or whether the deck is soft. That is where we come in.

Our inspection covers the attic, every slope, all penetrations, gutters and downspouts. You get photos and a plain list of what needs fixing now, what can wait, and roughly how many years the roof has left. Landlords use the same report to plan a replacement before tenants start reporting stains. Read more on our roof inspection page.

• Attic check for stains, daylight and damp insulation
• Close-up photos of flashing at chimneys, walls and vents
• Shingle condition, granule loss and nail pops by slope
• Gutter pitch, downspout discharge and fascia condition

Most ramblers and colonials here have a brick chimney on an exterior wall or through the ridge. During earlier reroofs, the old flashing was often left in place and covered with roofing cement. Over time the cement dries, cracks and lets water run down the brick into the attic.

We remove the old metal, cut a clean reglet into a mortar joint, and install new step flashing and counter flashing in aluminum or copper. Wide chimneys get a cricket behind them so water and leaves do not pile up on the uphill side. If the crown is cracked, we tell you, because water coming through the top will defeat even perfect flashing. Our chimney flashing repair details are written up on that page.

Yes, and in most cases it should. Colonials in neighborhoods like Fairchester Woods and Mosby Woods have straightforward gable and hip roofs, and a careful tear-off with new decking where needed keeps the lines crisp. Where the deck sagged between rafters, we may add blocking or a new sheet so the finished roof looks flat from the street.

We replace the drip edge, pipe boots and ridge vent on every reroof and add ice and water membrane at the eaves. Gutters on these homes are often original or close to it, and their fascia boards hide rot behind the aluminum wrap. We open that up during tear-off and replace bad boards before new gutters go on.

Fairfax is an independent city, so permit questions go to the city's permit office instead of the county. We check before a full replacement and file when it is required. Streets near campus can be crowded on weekdays during the semester, and we plan deliveries early in the morning to keep driveways and curbs clear.

If you live just outside the city line in Fairfax County, the same crews cover you, from Burke and Oakton to Vienna. The phone at (202) 771-7443 is answered around the clock.