5 Warning Signs

You Need to Replace Your Roof

 

When it comes to keeping your home warm, cozy and above all leak-free, a solid roof above your head is crucial. Below you will find 5 of the most common signs you will see for in replacing your roof.

How old is your roof? 10, 20, 30, 40??

Typically, an asphalt shingle roof should last about 20 to 25 years, anything after that you should start considering replacing your roof. When your roof is at its peaking age, you should call in some experts to give their opinion on how well it is holding up, you might have less than 5, depending on your roof’s condition. Many may say your roof looks good from the ground, or at 1st sight but that could be because there are many layers of shingles with the newest ones on the top. Beneath the shingles there may be weak spots or improper ventilation.  These are things that should be addressed ASAP.

Shingles are Curling

When inspecting the shingles on your roof, look for any that may be curling or buckling.  Shingles can curl in two ways: There’s cupping, which happens when the edges of the shingles turn upward; and there’s clawing, which is when the edges stay flat and the middle starts to come up. These deformities reveal that the shingle is past its prime and is no longer able to do its job properly.  Sometimes if there are just a few of these curling shingles, just those individual ones need to be replaced, but if you see this as a trend throughout your rooftop, it may be an indicator that it’s time to replace your roof.

Missing Shingles

The easy fix is replacing a few shingles here and there and continue patching until a bigger issue presents itself, but if you are missing shingles or see any valleys in your roof, it is likely a sign of damage that has already occurred and your need to replace your roof quickly.  If water and rain leak through your shingles, it reaches the wood of the roof that is holding them up.  The water weakens the wood and can cause it to lose form, causing the roof to dip.

Check your Gutter for Granules

If you just got a new asphalt shingle roof and you see a bunch of granules in the gutters, there’s nothing to worry about, those are just loose extra ones. But if it’s been 10 or 15 years, that’s a sign of a bigger problem. Towards the end of a roof’s life, it will tend to lose more of the granules on its asphalt shingles.  If your gutters are loaded up with these granules, this may be a warning sign that your roof is closing in on its last season.

Can you see Sunlight from your attic?

If you’re in your attic and can see any sunlight shining through the roof boards, it is likely that water is also leaking in. If light can get in, so can rain, cold air, and snow. You will want to check the moisture of the boards and test their strength.  The last thing you want is for the structural integrity of your house to be compromised due to a weak roof.