HOW TO KNOW IF YOUR ROOF NEEDS TO BE REPLACED

HERE FOR ALL OF YOUR ROOFING NEEDS!

When you start noticing your roof’s age, bring in the experts to determine if it’s time for a replacement.  Roof damage can lead to leaks and cause significant structural damage. Plus, beyond protecting your home, your roof plays a key role in curb appeal when it’s time to sell.  When you start noticing your roof’s age, bring in the experts to determine if it’s time for a replacement.  Roof damage can lead to leaks and cause significant structural damage.

Perform an attic inspection

The first and easiest way to evaluate your roof’s condition is to grab a flashlight and head up to your attic.  Make sure you grab a flashlight with a bright beam so you don’t miss any damage and always be sure to be safe as you perform these kinds of inspections.

Once you are in your attic, see if you can identify one (or several) of these signs that you need a new roof:

Daylight Through The Roof Boards

Before you turn your flashlight on, see if you can identify any streams of light coming through cracks or holes in your roof.  If you do spot any light coming through your roof, repair or replace your roof immediately.  If light is getting through your roof, then water is getting through your roof.

Dark Streaks & Stains

This one is also extremely easy to identify. If you see dark stains or dark streaks on the underside of your roof or running down the walls from the base of your roof, then you’re roof is likely leaking and moisture is damaging both your roof, as well as your home’s interior structure.

Sagging Areas

In the same way that water will make a piece of cardboard soggy and weak, water can also make the structure of your roof begin to sag.  If you identify sagging areas in your roof, use your hand or a broom to lightly prod at the sagging spot. If the spot feels soft and wet or bends easily with the prod of your broom, you know you have moisture damage.

Leaks & Water Damage

In addition to checking for dark streaks and sagging areas, make sure to look for any obvious signs of water leaking or rotting your roof on the inside.  If you see any clear signs of water damage, you should contact someone to inspect your roof immediately.

Take note of signs of roof damage and wear

Curling and Buckling Shingles

When the shingles on your roof begin to curl or to buckle, it’ll soon be time to replace them.  There are two kinds of curlinhg: cupping, when the edges of the shingle start to curl upward, and clawing, when the edges stay flat, but the middle starts to pop up. If either of these happens to your shingles, they are past their prime and will be ready to be replaced in the near future. On a warm day, bend the shingle; if it cracks or breaks easily, it’s probably time to replace it.

Bald Spots and Granules in the Gutter

If there are bald spots — very dark spots on the shingle — where the granules (the rough texture of the shingle) are falling off, the shingles are definitely beginning to age.  You might start to notice a lot of these granules beginning to collect in the gutter, where they end up after being washed off by heavy rain.  If these bald spots continue to increase in size, it’s important to get your shingles checked out and your roof looked at as soon as possible.

Cracked Shingles

Cracked shingles are usually a sign of wind damage.  You probably won’t need to replace the whole roof right away; if just a few shingles are cracked, you can quickly and easily replace them just to patch it up.  If, however, the cracked shingles are spread out randomly across the roof and not isolated to one or two places, it may mean that wind damage will continue, and the roof may need to be replaced in the near future.

The Roof is Sagging

If your roof is beginning to sag, you’ve got problems.  This is especially the case for valleys and dips in the roof, where rainwater and snow tend to collect and could cause serious damage.  A sagging roof is usually a sign of more serious and structural damage; it could be in the decking in the attic, or even in the supports in the foundation.  It’s best to get this looked at right away – your ceiling may not fall on you, but it’s always better to get it taken care of while it’s small and localized and before it spreads. Be sure to call in a professional as soon as possible.

Discoloration

The color of your roofing shingles may fade over the years due to UV degradation, another sign of an aging roof.

Dark streaks

While dark streaks on your roof may be more of an aesthetic problem, they’re an indication of algae growth on your roof. Lichen growth, which occurs with a combination of algae and fungus, can eventually damage shingles and their protective granules.  A homeowner’s first step should be to have a professional clean and inspect their roof to check the condition of the shingles and see if a repair or reroof is necessary.

Moss

The roots of moss are much larger than those found in lichens.  Too much moss on your roof can speed up the loss of granules.  Moss also retains water, adding weight, and keeping your roof in constant contact with water.  As with shingle discolorations, a roof inspection and cleaning can help determine the health of the shingles beneath the moss.

Time

While properly installed, high-quality asphalt shingles can provide two to three decades of protection, constant exposure to the elements eventually takes its toll, and they need to be replaced.

Know When It’s Time to Contact a Roofing Contractor

Professional roofing contractors are experienced with different types of roof damage and signs of an aging roof.  They know where to look (like under shingles and around flashings) and can safely traverse roofs of various slopes.  They can also tell you if you need a roof repair or a complete roof replacement.