A few weeks ago we discussed some parts of your house that you can inspect on your own. The following is a continuation of that list.

1. Roof: Depending upon your comfort level with heights you can either inspect your roof from the ground with binoculars or from a ladder. If your roof has a low slope and you are really comfortable you can even get up on it. A word of caution here: Roofs appear a lot steeper coming down than going up.

Once you have decided on your method of inspection there are several things to look for on the roof. Look for any shingles that have slipped out of position. Shingles can slip from high winds or from improper installation. If you have numerous slipped shingles I recommend calling a qualified roofer to determine if they have been incorrectly installed.

In addition to slipped shingles, look for curling at the bottom corners of the individual shingle tabs. Curling is a common early sign that the roofing is getting old. If you are inspecting the roof from a ladder you can look for erosion of the small, colored granules that are on the shingles. Often these granules will collect in the gutter. As with curling, erosion of the granules is an indication that your roof is getting older. If you have gotten on a ladder you can wiggle a small corner of a shingle tab. If it is brittle and breaks in your hand your shingles are getting old. If it is flexible then you are likely OK for several more years.

2. Furnace: Besides changing filters you can go one step further to determine the condition of your furnace. This is especially the case if you have recently moved into your house and are unsure of the previous owner's maintenance habits. The first thing you want to do is turn off the furnace at the thermostat. Once the furnace is off remove the covers from the front of the furnace. Typically the cover over the burners will have to come off first. The cover you are trying to remove is the one covering the blower. When the blower has completely stopped carefully reach your hand inside the blower and rub on some of the fins of the blower wheel. It is important to make sure that you do not disturb any of the wiring. You should be able to tell if the blower is clean or dirty. If you can rub a lot of dust or dirt off of the blower it is likely that the filter has not always been kept clean. A dirty blower wheel may indicate a dirty evaporator coil. If your blower wheel is dirty, I recommend calling a licensed heating contractor to clean and service the blower and inspect the evaporator coil.

3. Decks: It may be a little early in the year to be thinking about hanging out on your deck, but it is a good time to inspect the condition of the deck before you want to use it. To inspect your deck, first check the stability of the railings. Push carefully on the railings. Modern codes require that the railings be able to withstand a 200-pound force at any point along the top of the rail. I like to think of this as a 200- pound person leaning on the rail. Again, I recommend that you push, not lean on the rail when inspecting it.

Next look under the deck. The framing members that make the floor are called joists. The joists should be supported at both ends by a metal hanger or a piece of wood called a ledger installed under the joists. Just nailing the joists at their ends is not strong enough to be safe. While under the deck take a look at its attachment to the house. You should be able to see the heads of bolts, not just nails, at this attachment. Also look for some metal flashing where the deck attaches to the house. If you do not see bolts or flashing, I recommend calling a qualified contractor to remedy these conditions. Finally, take the longest screwdriver or probing tool you have and push it into the ground at the base of the deck support posts. Eventually you should run into some concrete. Sometimes the concrete is a few feet deep and may take some digging as well as probing to find.

Do you have a home repair question? Send e-mail to Ask the Inspector at homestyle@ajc.com.