House of Horrors

composite roofHundreds of home inspectors flock to Boulder, Colo. each year to train at the "House of Horrors."

Sponsored by the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI), the House of Horrors is designed with a wide variety of home systems (most of which are operable) that have 1,000 defects built in. The goal is to provide students with a chance to improve their skills by learning how to recognize home system defects and safety issues and ultimately, to become better home inspectors.

The "real home" is designed with multiple stations, including a roof systems area featuring 11 different roofing products such as asphalt shingles, stone slate, clay and concrete tiles, wood shakes and shingles, and rubber. Plus, there's a section on composite roofing, with product samples provided by DaVinci Roofscapes.

"Our goal in this section is to teach students to recognize proper installation of roofing materials, including underlayment, flashing and primary roof coverings," says Kenton Shepard, director of international development for InterNACHI.  "We want these inspectors-in-training to recognize common defects and understand the lifecycle of roofing products, their failing points and other key factors on the roof. Plus, with more durable products like synthetic slate and shake roofing, we want them to understand the benefits of low-maintenance roofing products.

Polymer roofing tiles"So far, the main reaction our students have had to the DaVinci roofing is curiosity. Some students have never seen polymer roofing before. They're interested in how this type of roofing product ages and what installation looks like for composite roofing."

The InterNACHI school offers world-class, accredited inspection training. The House of Horrors will have about 500 people visit each year who are advancing their inspection knowledge and skills. And, if you're visiting the Boulder area, make plans to stop by and visit the House of Horrors—it's open to everyone!